Sociopath or Psychopath

The difference between a Sociopath and a Psychopath?

Psychopathy, is generally considered a confluence of genetic and chemical imbalances.  Psychopaths lack the proper neurological frameworks to develop a sense of ethics and morality.  Sociopaths interact with their social worlds in a meaningful way, but their moral compasses need a massive tune-up from yesterday.

Both tend to be charming, despite being unable to empathise normally with others.  They offer convincing systems of fear and disgust, but tend to lack both. 

Psychopaths are dangerous. They’re violent and cruel, and oftentimes downright sinister. They show no remorse for their actions, usually because of a lesion on a part of their brain responsible for fear and judgment, known as the amygdala.  Psychopaths commit crimes in cold blood.  They crave control and impulsivity, possess a predatory instinct, and attack proactively rather than as a reaction to confrontation.

Sociopathic  behaviour is manifested as conniving and deceitful, despite an outward appearance of trustworthiness or sincerity.  Sociopaths are often pathological liars. They are manipulative and lack the ability to judge the morality of a situation, but not because they lack a moral compass; rather, their existing moral compass is skewed.

This means that while psychopathy and sociopathy both likely involve impaired cognitive function, the two differ in which circuits are affected.  Psychopaths are fearless; sociopaths aren’t.  Psychopaths don’t have a sense of right and wrong; sociopaths do.  But both are equally capable of ruining lives and destroying relationships — not that they care.