What You Don't Know About Sociopaths

When you think of a sociopath, you probably think of the villains in films, such as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. Most of the time, people would think of sociopaths as those people who are aggressive, cold-hearted, and anti-social. It is somewhat correct, but their portrayal in movies as villains puts them in a bad light. Often, villains are seen as antagonistic, violent, and evil with mental illness. People would now associate sociopaths with dangerous or threatening. It is discouraging that people experiencing such disorder have to hide their nature because of the stigma carried out by some of our favorite movies.  The stereotyped traits of sociopaths are their incapability to identify wrong and right and their manipulativeness. They lack empathy, particularly an inability to feel remorse for their actions, and because of this, people would tag them as dangerous. If you confront them about their actions, don't expect them to show remorse and change their ways. They also might give someone bad advice, use misinformation, and blackmail to get what they want.  The statements, although literally true, are nevertheless misleading. Sociopaths are not all violent criminals, nor are they emotionless people. They just happen to be different in their way of thinking, feeling, and living. Author of Alternate Reality book B. Steve Ross will prove all these stereotypes wrong. Reading his biography, Alternate Reality, will open your eyes to sociopathy. He shares how he became a sociopath and how anyone can be a sociopath.  This is not to glamorize sociopathy; rather, it shed light on the people's true nature with this disorder. In order to reduce the stigma surrounding sociopathy, education and awareness must be raised. Thus, below are some things that you might not know about sociopaths: They Are Intelligent Sociopaths are technically intelligent, just like how they are portrayed in films and literature. They have all the answers when it comes to anything, especially in science. Despite their intelligence, they can have a hard time understanding all the human emotions brewing inside them. Most, if not all, sociopaths have superior intelligence. They are identified as high-functioning with very high IQs, which most use to read, manipulate, and control scenarios.  Many people undermine the capabilities of people experiencing this disorder. They see them as helpless and dependent. But, in fact, sociopaths can still handle a job. Take B. Steve Ross; he managed to work as a master electrician and serve more than eight years in the US Navy as a Nuclear Power Electrician.  They Are Almost Never Afraid They can be very charismatic. They don't get nervous around anyone and do anything. They tend to fail to conform to the social norms. They do what they want, which makes them brave. They are not afraid of what people may think as they can put themselves in high regard. It can be challenging for them to feel fear as they don't care about the consequences. However, this might come off as a little bit of an independent thinker.  One thing that sociopaths fear is exposure. Most people who are now sociopaths are brought up by neglect and rejection by the people close to them. Thus, this caused them to spend their lives hiding who they truly are and imitate others to "fit in." They tend to hide behind the crowd to avoid attention.  They Can Love Someone A misunderstanding about sociopaths is that they may lack empathy, but it does not imply they cannot love. They can form emotional attachments, but it is difficult. They don't understand the dynamics of emotions, so it is hard for them to express love like that given to them. They can't feel the emotional worlds of other people. However, they are very good at reading emotions. B. Steve Ross has been married for over 30 years now and has raised two children. He proves that sociopaths are capable of loving. Love and other complex emotions are made up of all sorts of little emotions that it can look and feel different to them, but it is still there. 

They Are Not as Bad as You Think

Stereotypically, sociopaths are seen as cruel and heartless or killers and criminals. However, many are coming out to challenge that common wisdom. Most sociopaths are not incarcerated— the majority of them live freely and anonymously. They can be your neighbors, friends, acquaintances, or colleagues. Yes, sociopaths hunger for power, but they are not inherently evil. Some are making contributions to society in various fields of service. They are a bit unusual to a lot of people, but that doesn't make them monsters. Nobody chooses to be a sociopath; it is genetic and environmental inherited.