How to defend yourself from a Sociopath?
If you take the concept of self-defense seriously, you must consider all threats that might cause you harm. As a martial arts practitioner and instructor in a small community, I can get to know my students and the parents of my students on a personal level.
By doing so, I’ve had an opportunity to recognize how many people and families have been dramatically affected by a sociopath in their lives. So, I thought I would write this article on how to recognize a sociopath and defend yourself against one.
Images of some crazed serial killer often come to mind when you hear the word sociopath. Therefore, people will often overlook the presence of a true sociopath because they don’t see that person in their life as someone who would physically harm them.
The reality is a sociopath doesn’t look or often act much different than anyone else. Therefore, it’s essential to understand what a sociopath is, how common this affliction is, what those traits are, how they can harm you, and how you have overlooked the presence of one in your life.
The odds are you know a sociopath and likely have a few climbing around in your own family tree. Although a Google search of the term sociopath will invoke many terms, meanings, and definitions, the simplistic essence of a sociopath is someone unable to feel empathy.
It sounds harmless until you recognize that the ability to feel empathy for others lies at the very base of what we would consider good ethics and a high moral compass.
For those who experience the emotion of empathy, it regulates and guides our moral compass as to how to treat others, and it can prevent us from harming others because doing so would lead to other powerful emotions such as guilt and remorse.
Since sociopaths lack empathy, their actions and behaviors are not bound or contained by an emotional or moral compass. Therefore, they do not feel guilt if they cause harm, pain, or suffering to others. You will see this example played out over and over with many politicians who will make policies that benefit their own bottom line, regardless of the detriment to those they are supposed to serve.
If you see someone who shows no empathy towards others, watch carefully, as they may be a sociopath. Here are a few other traits to watch for…
Few or no real friends. Sociopath’s lack of empathy means they are unable to personally relate to others, therefore, struggle with building meaningful relationships. They will keep their circle small and typically only include blood relatives.- Sneering or criticism of the emotions of others. Since a sociopath cannot feel empathy, they will see extreme emotion within others as a weakness, often to be exploited.
The need to influence or manipulate others. A lack of empathy often leads a sociopath to feel a sense of superiority, where they will view others as objects. They deem emotions a weakness that can be influenced, guided, and manipulated. They often see it as a game and feel pride when they can successfully control others without knowing it. It’s much the same as a puppeteer controlling a marionette. Only the strings are emotional.
Do not play well with others. Sociopaths often seek positions of power and influence as they see others as beneath them. They typically do not follow well and prefer to be in positions where they are in charge. Many will have political aspirations as they may see it as an opportunity to use their influence and manipulation on a larger scale. It is a game for them, and the bigger, the better.
Impulsive or reckless behavior. Many would deem sociopaths as somewhat reckless. Due to a sociopath’s lack of emotion, including many typical fears, they are good risk-takers. Because sociopaths lack empathy and guilt, they will often not see their own actions as high risk because they know they are willing to do whatever it takes, regardless of who it hurts or how it affects others, to succeed in their endeavors. They see their own lack of moral compass as an advantage in the game. All is fair in love, and war would be their motto.
Charming and charismatic. Sociopaths are typically charming and charismatic, especially when trying to get something they want. They often appear to have a great sense of humor, yet their humor is often at others’ expense. It is based upon their own feeling of superiority over others, and due to their inflated sense of self, they do not handle criticism well.
Constant fantasizing about becoming more successful and powerful is another typical trait of sociopaths, as it is a way for them to branch out and express their feeling of superiority and apply their influencing and manipulation on a larger scale.
Sociopaths, however, are not fearless. They recognize that their only strength is their lack of empathy and ability to influence and manipulate others. So, their greatest fear is being caught. If they know they’ve been caught, they are ruthless and will do anything to destroy the credibility of the one who caught them to ensure they maintain their power and influence over the rest.
Most sociopaths will rarely cause physical harm to another; if they did, they would have bridged the gap between being a sociopath and a psychopath. However, do not underestimate the damage, devastation, and suffering they can cause from their inability to understand or express empathy. And they can do so without a single night’s loss of sleep.
The best protection from someone who exhibits sociopathic tendencies and traits and to save yourself from a lot of pain is to… RUN AWAY!