In a particular group of people, the dominant and most often manifested personality motives are the lack of morality, a sense of responsibility, and interest in others. The behavior of such a person almost completely satisfies only his needs.
In medical and psychological literature, such a person is denoted by the terms “antisocial,” “psychopathic,” or “sociopathic.” It is worth noting that these concepts cannot be fully identified with the criminal orientation of a person. In addition, the term “antisocial personality” is not a medical diagnosis. This is only a certain psychological type of person who has a moral problem. Such people have practically no conscience. And if an ordinary person from childhood begins to understand that people's behavior has some limitations, and that everyone has to deny himself pleasure from time to time for the interests of others, then antisocial types take into account only their own desires. They always behave impulsively, striving for the immediate achievement of their goals.
Psychopathic antisocial personalities are very different from those around them. They are given more courage and opportunity. They constantly take risks and break the rules, doing things that others simply cannot do. At the same time, the person who is an antisocial personality is very interesting and vibrant. It attracts others. And the one who met such a person on his way will never be able to forget him.
An antisocial person, or sociopath, is not at all a frightening maniac holding an ax. Such people can perfectly imitate the recognized normality in society. Nevertheless, direct contact with an antisocial personality threatens us with a ruined life and psychological trauma. That is why it is so important to recognize such a person at the very beginning of interaction with him.
Definition of a concept
How briefly can one describe an antisocial personality? Sociopathic disorder is currently referred to by psychologists as mental pathologies. This distortion is due to disturbances in the relationship between the human super-ego and ego. The first of them, which is a critical instance, can be either not fully formed, or too rigid, that is, punishing. In addition, the ego ideal, which is part of the super-ego, in such people, as a rule, contains identifications directed against public relations.
Psychologist N. Mac-Williams describes the antisocial sociopathic personality through the prism of the expressed need for a sense of power over other people. This is manifested in the form of a desire to influence others and manipulate them. This allows the antisocial personality to rise above other people. Many experts note that such a person is deprived of the ability to human attachment.
Professional focus
The degree of social adaptation of such a person may be different. To determine it, A. Aychron introduced the concepts of explicit delinquency, as well as latent. As for the first option, in this case a person shows antisocial actions. In the second, a similar state exists, but does not appear externally.
For an antisocial person, unlawful motivation and committing crimes are not at all prerequisites. For example, such people can be representatives of highly respected professions. These are surgeons, judges and educators who, more than others, are prone to control and pressure. In this case, there is a combination of their individuality with the interests of society.
Scientific explanation of the behavior of a sociopath
In psychoanalysis, the antisocial personality type is considered from the point of view of the impossibility of a person to resolve his internal conflicts. Such people deliberately break ties with reality and are saved from internal reality by committing prohibited acts, which are often prosecuted by the law and suppressed by the state.
The main psychological defense of sociopathic people is their omnipotent control. In addition, they use projective identification, acting out and many diverse dissociative processes.
Nevertheless, the ability to exert pressure is predominant in such people. It is she who protects them from shame. This is especially true for rude psychopaths.
With the occurrence of delinquent behavior, antisocial personalities often project their personal negative qualities onto society. For them, the surrounding world begins to look much worse than it really is.
The lack of conscience among sociopaths speaks not only about their defective super-ego. A similar trait clearly indicates a lack of primary mutual affection for people. For sociopaths, the main value of a person nearby is in their explicit or unconscious consent to endure “cracking”.
How to recognize an antisocial personality?
The main thing to remember about such people is that they are prone to breaking the rules. And absolutely any. Of course, such an ability helps them create something new, earn money, promote a service or product, and also boldly set off on the path that other people did not go because of their fear or constraint. Nevertheless, a similar trait manifests itself in sociopaths in violation of established rules and norms.
Consider some examples that indicate the main typological signs of the antisocial orientation of the personality:
- Failure to comply with the agreements. In short, the antisocial personality has very big problems with this. The fact is that antisocials are very afraid to be trapped in circumstances and be held responsible for something. That is why they will try not to make any promises, after keeping silent, giving vague answers, dodging and cunning, or simply will not comply with the agreement. Sometimes sociopaths still fulfill their promises. However, they do this until they get personal benefit from it.
- Non-compliance with traffic rules. An asocial driver can be identified from afar. He drives his car in a very dangerous way, rushing through the streets at breakneck speed and cutting other cars. Such drivers and park exactly where they deemed necessary.
- Adultery. Antisocials very often cheat on their soulmate or cheat on your partner in some other way. In a relationship, a sociopath necessarily has a desire to use. It is simply impossible for them to build personal ties on mutual respect and interest. Antisocial personalities will always try to deceive, manipulate and cunning.
- Lack of loyalty to loved ones. The friendship and cooperation of such people are built purely on the basis of their own benefit. If there is interest, the antisocial will always be around. But as soon as a person becomes unnecessary, he will immediately substitute, betray and leave.
- Failure to comply with ethical standards. An antisocial person is not confused by the fact that he is deceiving someone and that his actions can have harmful and dangerous consequences for others. For example, it may be advertising yourself as an expert in a specific field. Moreover, the sociopath will not even have the necessary education.
- Violation of the laws. Such people most often become criminals.
- Ignoring the psychological boundaries of the people around. Antisocials can always put a person in an awkward position, read his correspondence, go into the room without knocking, frustrate other people's plans, force others to do what they do not want.
Nature has endowed sociopaths not only with a tendency to break the rules, but also with high intelligence. Thanks to their abilities, such people can very well become swindlers and successful businessmen, wonderful PR managers and journalists, gigolos, thieves and policemen. In other words, such talent is applicable in a wide variety of fields. And not necessarily destructive. For example, excellent cops are made from asocial personalities. Indeed, in order to successfully catch criminals, you need to think like them.
Character traits
Consider the main signs of antisocial personality. Such people have the following features:
- Very charismatic. It’s easy to fall in love with such people, because their appearance and behavior are designed to arouse interest among others. Sociopaths seem bright and unforgettable, extraordinary and successful.
- Most often belong to the wealthy sectors of society. And this is not at all because they were spoiled by money, but because of the well-developed ability to profit. Sociopaths take from the world all that they want, get acquainted with influential people and acquire the necessary connections. Their main goal is power, as well as expensive things and money, in a word, all that elevates them above the rest.
- Their revenge is much stronger than their resentment. Sometimes an outsider who doesn’t even do anything wrong with an asocial person gets hit. However, she is already beginning to take revenge in advance. For example, an asocial husband will hit his wife if she does not serve him dinner on time. In this case, he will be completely confident in his innocence. After all, they offended him! The sociopath will not even think about correlating his actions with what has happened.
- Risk averse. It seems that the antisocial personality has virtually no instinct for self-preservation. Often such people are not indifferent to dangerous hobbies and adventures, alcohol, drugs and gambling. From the outside it seems that they do not value their own life at all or believe that they will certainly come out of all situations as winners. And this is despite the fact that the one who is nearby suffers or is in danger.
It is worth noting that it is sociopaths who most often acquire gigs in order to ride them only in the warm season. They will be able to shock on a first date and forever crash into memory. Only associates, not having a stable income, will buy the most expensive clothes. One should also not guess for a long time what type of personality a lady belongs to, who, without a twinge of conscience, will hang herself on other people's husbands in the presence of their wives. Yes, all this refers to the description of the character of an antisocial personality.
Sociopaths and Society
Antisocial personalities can masquerade as “normal” people. That is why they do not shy away from society and even are drawn to it. However, despite the fact that such people immediately attract attention and look charming, you should not be deceived. After all, their charisma is just an external mask, which they put on and take off quite easily.
Most often, sociopaths speak in broad generalizations. In their speech one can constantly hear the following phrases: “Everyone knows ...”, “Everyone considers ...”, etc. That is how sociopaths convey rumors. If we clarify: “Who is this - all?”, Then they point to only one source, presenting his words as the opinion of society as a whole. For such people, this is natural. After all, sociopaths consider society a huge enemy camp, which is opposed to them.
In addition, antisocials like to spread bad news, give malicious and critical comments, devalue, and also suppress. Such people are called "evil messengers", "rumors" and "gossip". Interestingly, sociopaths do not broadcast good news. Nor do they make approving remarks.
By transmitting messages and news, antisocials tend to change their content only for the worse. They delay and miss good news only bad, often flavored by their own inventions.
Most often, such a person is surrounded by frightened friends and relatives. Even if they are not brought to this madness. However, their behavior in life is flawed, and they, as a rule, do not succeed and fail. People close to anti-socials are not able to show stable results in school or in treatment. The thing is that they are under the overwhelming influence, because of which they quickly become ill or lose the advantages that acquired knowledge gives them.
People who are close to antisocial during the therapeutic treatment do not feel improvement in their condition. In addition, they react poorly to rehabilitation measures. It’s simply useless to teach and treat people who are close to asocial. Friendly participation will not help them.
A lot of mentally ill people are insane only because of their connections with sociopaths. For the same reason, it is difficult for them to recover. At the same time, it is almost impossible to meet an antisocial personality among patients in psychiatric hospitals. In these institutions are only their relatives and friends.
Antisocial personalities like to choose wrong goals. For example, if the tire is punctured, it is not the nail that is guilty, but a satellite or other non-existent source. And the reaction to the neighbors' loudly turned on radio is kicking their own cat, etc.
It is difficult for a sociopath to complete the cycle of his actions. That is why he is surrounded by unfinished business.
Antisocial individuals who have embarked on the path of crime, as a rule, freely admit to committing their most terrible atrocities, if they are forced to do so. However, they do not feel any responsibility for the perfect. This is the antisocial orientation and social danger of the criminal personality. After all, his actions in no way correlate with his own decision or choice. It follows from the explanation of sociopaths that this "just happened." These people do not feel the connection that always takes place between a cause and its effect. So, they never have a feeling of shame or remorse.
Support for asocial personality is enjoyed only by those groups that are engaged in destruction. In relation to those people who strive for improvement and constructive actions, while creating communities, such a person experiences indignation and rage, often attacking them.
Virtually absent from the antisocial and a sense of ownership. He believes that the idea of people that one of them is capable of owning something is just a swindle, fiction and pretense. In his opinion, nothing can be someone else's property.
Sociopathic criminals
People who commit unlawful acts are distributed by forensic experts into separate typological groups. A similar classification exists by the nature of their antisocial orientation. Existing value orientations are also considered. The type of personality of the offender by the nature of the antisocial orientation is:
1. Selfish. In this case, there is more than one desire for enrichment. Important for such a person are the means leading to the achievement of the goal. This type of personality combines persons who commit fraud, robbery, robbery, theft and other theft, which are official crimes.
2. Violent. This type of personality includes people who have committed rape, hooliganism, murder, etc. The motives for committing such crimes are revenge, jealousy, etc.
3. Neglecting duties assigned to a person in accordance with an agreement or law.
Reasons for the development of sociopathy
To date, there is no exact answer to the question of where the antisocial personalities come from.
Psychologists put forward three versions of these causes:
- environment and family;
- heredity;
- childhood trauma to the head or stress.
According to most experts, the main cause of the disease is genetic defects. However, what kind of violation causes sociopathy is not known.
Process of socialization
Living in a society, each person assimilates his values, norms and rules. But the antisocial personality considered in sociology is one that neglects all that is aimed at the normal functioning and stabilization of the state and relations between people. Moreover, she pays more attention to negative attitudes, roles and stereotypes of behavior. The ongoing process of assimilation by a person of antisocial antisocial norms leads to a deformation of the bonds existing in society. The consequence of this is the destabilization of the state.
The process of assimilation of antisocial antisocial norms by a person can go two ways.The first of them arises at one stage or another of a person’s development, which is influenced by a criminal group, a yard company or a negative microenvironment. This process is called “desocialization”. In this case, a person instead of positive values and norms establishes new - negative ones.
There may also be a lag in socialization. This process is expressed in the untimely assimilation of positive patterns of behavior and norms prescribed by society.
Treatment
What are the methods of dealing with sociopathy? It is worth noting that such a disorder cannot be completely cured, because such a person considers his behavior normal and does not see any flaws in it.
It is only possible to conduct psychotherapy of an antisocial personality with correction of the manifestation of the disorder. In this case, a person gains the ability to take into account the wishes of loved ones and observe the norms of behavior that are prescribed by society.
We briefly examined the antisocial personality and its characteristics.