Low Charisma Sociopaths

Has anyone come across people like this in their life, either someone who displays sociopathic tendencies but isn't charming or charismatic, lacks that aspect of it (or is it an integral part of sociopathy?)

Or across anyone who has Asperger type characteristics but is sociopathic

I've a family member that I believe to be sociopathic but I never thought in that way till recently because they lack the charismatic persona

For some reason first thing I thought of was this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z8pgV74_Hw

To my knowledge, they're called psychopaths.

Psychopath: Unable to maintain normal relationships. Values relationships that benefit themselves.
Sociopath: Tendency to appear superficially normal in social relationships, often social predators.

fp'd three this week

Hmm I hadnt thought of that! They are very interested in social relationships, but are unable to do this beyond the most superficial level. Lots of small talk with the people in the store but inability to connect on anything but the most mundane. Based on this, delusion at having many friends despite having none.

It's interesting that you'd like to use these medical categories, is the situation so grave that you feel like that's necessary?

I apologize if inappropriate. I did consider using sociopath-like, would be happy to use milder words

It has negatively affected my home life for many years, but until recently I had written off sociopathy due to a lack of charisma

Yes, I do know someone like this. On a very superficial level he appears to be the kind of guy who just wants to be helpful to people. Actually he's a manipulative asshole who is really shitty at being a manipulative asshole. The only people who can stand him are vulnerable and lonely people because he is quite dislikable. He lives in a seniors' community so there are many people around him in that situation. Even so, his friendships go south quickly. He always is trying to make connections (through helping in some way, eg. picking up groceries is his favourite) but most regular folks think he's a complete imbecile or just weird. He'll brag about having large sums of cash or drugs thinking that gets him cool points but actually turn most people off right away. Can't really say which of the definitions posted by Sanpaku upthread he belongs to. He's a bit of both. I don't really know how important it is to pigeonhole deeply troubled people anyway. I do know that he is a sex offender who has served prison time for child porn charges. He's obviously a predator on some level but he doesn't really pass as normal.

Anvil: my comment was more concern for you rather than questioning your terms, apologies if it came across as aggressive

Anyway, I've certainly met people who have these traits, and in fact was sharing accommodation with one until recently

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder in which a person is excessively preoccupied with personal adequacy, power, prestige and vanity, mentally unable to see the destructive damage they are causing to themselves and to others in the process

What a hateful thread title, what about Neurotypical-Sociopaths are they more acceptable?

Isn't that an oxymoron? If you're a sociopath, you're by definition not neurotypical? Not that anyone is, really

like, sociopath isn't meant as a term of spite, but as a diagnosis

It didn't say asperger-dogfuckers

This is a pure google pontification thread, with a shitty title, I maintain.

weird to accuse a rock star of low charisma but:
gene simmons

I dont think neurotypical sociopaths are more acceptable, but it might be easier to tell if you are living with one. My father's actions are such that I've struggled for so long to understand why he behaves the way he does, but didnt consider sociopathy until quite recently because a couple of aspects didnt fit, but looking at the symptoms all the ones other than charisma and probably intelligence he has in abundance. But in popular imagination the charisma is such a strong aspect that it took me a long time to consider

I thought about titling it 'The Quiet Sociopath'! But he isnt quiet! he is the great orator, he is always talking, to the extent hes actually hurting his voice! its just what he says is so boring (subjective), its difficult to imagine he is able so capture anyones imagination, but perhaps on a very small level on many everyday mundane interactions, he is able to do this? Lots and lots of tiny interactions, he does go out and seek this

i think there are situations where the language and diagnosis of psychiatry are useful tools for analyzing people, but in an unqualified social context i don't think it's helpful to use these kinds of labels for people who make us uncomfortable. it feels like a way of objectivizing your own discomfort.

which isn't to say the world doesn't have plenty of weird, difficult, unpleasant people in it. just that using clinical language from an unqualified perspective can blur the clinical usage, and ignore the relational aspects of human relations in favour of pinning the stigma on the donkey.

There may be something to that, although the actions have done rather more than make me feel uncomfortable and have affected more people than just myself

Having never been able to make sense of anything until recently, this does make sense. But perhaps too much sense, a neat little package?

i guess that's all i'm saying, yeah. labels have a way of closing off thinking as much as encouraging it.

certainly not saying that people can't be psychologically damaging to those around them.

I keep coming back to "you cant reason with a sociopath", and thinking if I had thought about this like this 10 years ago, I would have behaved very differently over that period

I think NV is mostly right.

As far as father figures of the world go, there's a lot to unpack re: traditional gender roles and behavior. I've talked with friends about how the outlook our dads have, regarding family and work and socialization seem completely foreign.

I mean, anvil's dad seems like he's probably an outlier, but you could say much of the same about a number of not-introspective men of a couple generations

http://ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=77&threadid=99207#unread

http://ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=77&threadid=99207

This is the thing - I spent years thinking "well you could say the same about lots of men!". I talked to my mother and asked her to score him 0 to 10 on a range of 'symptoms' without telling her what I was doing - and she scored him 9 or above on all of them bar two, charisma and intelligence, but he is extremely extroverted and seeks out as many people as possible to engage, I hadnt thought of that as being charismatic in itself but I am no longer sure

saw some on ilx today

fp'd three this week

― james lipton and his francs (darraghmac), Tuesday, 6 May 2014 18:40 (two years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink