No conscience but have emotions

So I have always known that I don't really have a conscience simply due to never really feeling guilty/shameful/remorseful/etc about an action I've taken or things I've said. I've googled this and keep coming up with "sociopath" as result, but I do feel emotions (don't fake them) and am fairly social. So my question is: What exactly is someone considered if they lack a conscience but are social active and have real feelings/emotions?

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Comments ( 5 )
  • Boojum

    Selfish? Self-centered? Self-obsessed?

    What you describe sounds like a lack of empathy. You're unable to put yourself in another person's place and imagine how your actions make them feel, so the only thing that matters is your feelings.

    If you want a psychiatric diagnostic label, does this fit?

    "The hallmarks of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) are grandiosity, a lack of empathy for other people, and a need for admiration. People with this condition are frequently described as arrogant, self-centered, manipulative, and demanding. They may also concentrate on grandiose fantasies (e.g. their own success, beauty, brilliance) and may be convinced that they deserve special treatment. These characteristics typically begin in early adulthood and must be consistently evident in multiple contexts, such as at work and in relationships.

    "People with narcissistic personality disorder believe they are superior or special, and often try to associate with other people they believe are unique or gifted in some way. This association enhances their self-esteem, which is typically quite fragile underneath the surface. Individuals with NPD seek excessive admiration and attention in order to know that others think highly of them. Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder have difficulty tolerating criticism or defeat, and may be left feeling humiliated or empty when they experience an "injury" in the form of criticism or rejection."

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    • Agree with Narcissism. One main difference of sociopaths and narcissists is that narcissists are emotional.

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  • TerriAngel

    Totally normal.
    That's what it's called.
    Everyone does it.
    You're just honest and admit it.
    I wouldn't so much as miss a sip of my morning coffee if a co-worker died.
    But I'd cry my eyes out. Curse life and pray for help if my cat or dog went missing for a day.

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  • rayb12

    Part of empathy is instinctual this varies in people and is lower with NPD but part is learned. And through putting in effort you can compensate more than enough for what you lack by instinct. Also everyone needs to work to some degree to put themselves in anothers shoes. Some people feel sad hearing about another's misfortune but still aren't really imagining it was them.

    You sound perfectly aware of things that are bad and places where you 'should' feel something. This makes you more than equipped to build skills in empathizing.

    Sociopaths for the most part know that they are.

    You can do a lot of self diagnosis through wikipedia but everyone fits some descriptions of nearly every disorder so it doesn't do much.

    You aren't in a place where you're incapable of "having a conscience." And you probably act nice in situations and don't commit murder for reasons other than avoiding jail time anyways. It sounds like you are just trying to absolve yourself of responsibility

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  • Tybo626

    I think your just an uncaring individual looking for a clean cut justification for your behavior via a psychiatric diagnosis.

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