Is it normal to think your relative is a *mild* sociopath

[Please refrain from the sociopath vs psychopath debate, it’s normally inconclusive and not relevant here. I’m just going to call them sociopaths.]

I have come to the conclusion after many difficult years that 3 of my close relatives are mild sociopaths.

My reasoning is that they all have very low empathy, steal from people and laugh about it, use and manipulate people, spend other’s money with no regard and become incredibly uncomfortable/angry when someone shows emotion. Then they put on a charming witty facade for the masses so most of the people they “know” don’t know what they’re really like.

I confided in 2 friends that I suspect they are mild sociopaths and to my surprise both of them immediately agreed with me and told me that they each suspected one of their own relatives to be a mild sociopath.

Do you suspect the same of your relatives? Please share your stories if you do.

I think several relatives are sociopaths 4
I think one relative is a sociopath 5
None of my relatives are sociopaths 3
None of mine are but my friend’s/ partner’s are 0
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Comments ( 13 )
  • Confusingness

    Read The Lucifer Effect and then recommend it to them.

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  • Tommythecaty

    Psychopathy is not actually a diagnostic term, you can’t be diagnosed with it. It’s just a gradient scale invented for research.

    Aspd is the term. If they were diagnosed with “anti social personality disorder” they must’ve done some bad shit and been in court for it. It requires a noted history of conduct disorder and would have to be bad enough for courts psychs to evaluate them.

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  • --

    Mine are all psychopaths, I don't think they have killed anyone though.

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  • Good to hear I’m not alone in dealing with this. It took me far too long to realise their behaviour wasn’t normal. I agree with the theory of a genetic component, I suspect my estranged grandfather is also a sociopath from the stories I’ve heard.

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  • litelander8

    My mom and her brother are that way. He’s a junior to my now dead grandpa and he stole my grandpas identity and stole his money. Either out of love or shame, my grandparents covered it up. My grandparents were very well off to do hard work and playing the stocks. When my grandma passed away several years ago, her money was supposed to be divided among the 6 grandkids and my mom and uncle. My mom was the executor of the will and push come to shove she took the grandkids out and divided it between her and her brother.

    My grandparents had a big role in all my siblings and cousins life. They were my best friends and I know wholly they’d be ashamed of my mother.

    Greed is an amazing thing.

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    • Sorry to hear of your experience. One of my little band of sociopaths is my mother too.

      When my grandparents died 8 years ago they were reasonably wealthy and supposedly “didn’t leave any money to their grandchildren”, which I’m only just realising this year is fishy as hell.

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      • litelander8

        Yeah. My grandma was really open about how the money would be split. She also had different things that were going to designated grandkids. Mine was her jewelry bc I would play in it and organize it all the time growing up. My mom took that too. The annoying thing is that we can’t get too upset over it bc that makes us just as greedy in a way.

        But true to your post. My mom and uncle are very appealing and Seem thoughtful. I always described my mom as “willing to give the shirt off her back but set you on fire with it”.

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  • my_life_my_way

    To be honest, I do the exact same things as your relatives and have had people question whether I am a sociopath/psychopath but I’ve come to realise that I’m just an asshole. It’s probably the same with your relatives.

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    • A key difference is that you recognise that you’re an arsehole, my relatives see nothing wrong with what they’re doing. One even frequently goes on self-aggrandising rants about how lovely she is.

      Perhaps you’re on similar levels of arsehole bahviour but at least you’re self-aware.

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  • FromTheSouthWeirdMan

    Yes several. I went to jail one time for a week and my mother gave my dog away on like the 2nd day.

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    • Yep, my socio senses are tingling. Did you get him/her back?

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      • FromTheSouthWeirdMan

        I didnt talk to her for about a year afterwards. Shes nuts.

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        • I meant your dog.

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