What is the difference between a narcissist and a sociopath?

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1. Please do not attempt to diagnose anyone with these conditions yourself! NPD is very difficult to diagnose correctly, so please get advice before trying to decide what disorder your partner might have.

2. The terms psychopath and sociopath are not used in psychiatry. The term used is 'antisocial' (antisocial personality disorder).

See: Kim Cooper author of "Back from the Looking Glass" - Living with the Personality Disorder that Causes Abuse.

1. ASPD and Narcissism are different and distinct

They are distinctly different disorders.

For one thing, they have totally different focus:

NPD specifically manifests as a pathological craving for attention. Socio/psychopathy manifests as a pathological disregard for anything but self gratification.

To compare the two would be rather like comparing a goal with a methodology.

Though the two conditions could easily co-exist in the same individual.

When those with NPD are "indifferent, callous and careless," surely this is a by-product of their driving need for attention to which all else is sacrificed. The Sociopath, however, is indifferent, callous and careless OF HIS NATURE, which FACILITATES the destructive pursuit of his personal choice of self gratification.

Of course, what is important is not what we CALL these conditions, but rather what they actually are.

Put simply - Sociopaths do not have a conscience. Narcissists do.

--- The way I heard it explained once was that a sociopath cannot empathize, cannot feel anyone else's feelings, but he doesn't feel his own either. A narcissist feels his own feelings deeply, but has an absolute inability to feel anyone else's, to have empathy for anyone else.

There is a subcategory of narcissists called "malignant narcissists" that to some extent merge the antisocials and the narcissists. However, for the most part, the answer below is right on the money.

Inability to form relationships, not even narcissistically twisted relationships, with other humans;

Total disregard for society, its conventions, social cues and social treaties.

As opposed to what Scott Peck says, narcissists are not evil; they lack the intention to cause harm. As Millon notes, certain narcissists "incorporate moral values into their exaggerated sense of superiority. Here, moral laxity is seen (by the narcissist) as evidence of inferiority and it is those who are unable to remain morally pure who are looked upon with contempt." (Millon, Th., Davis, R. - Personality Disorders in Modern Life - John Wiley and Sons, 2000)

Narcissists are simply indifferent, callous and careless in their conduct and in their treatment of their fellow humans. Their abuse of others is off-handed and absent-minded, not calculated and premeditated like the psychopath's.

More about the relationships between pathological narcissism and other personality disorders here:

http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com/faq15.html

http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com/faq82.html

Put simply - Sociopaths do not have a conscience. Narcissists do.

2. There is some overlap

The way I heard it explained once was that a sociopath cannot empathize, cannot feel anyone else's feelings, but he doesn't feel his own either. A narcissist feels his own feelings deeply, but has an absolute inability to feel anyone else's, to have empathy for anyone else.

---They both warp reality to suit their needs. Narcissists are all about image and ego. They will say anything (lie) to make them sound good for the moment, even if it contradicts what they said the day before. The malignant narcissist goes a step further and devalues, criticizes and nitpicks other people. A narcissist is lazy. They are all mouth. They get others to do their work. They steal the credit. If anything goes wrong, they always have a scapegoat ready to blame. This is why they always work in teams and are 'committeeholics'. They sit back and issue orders while everyone else is doing all the work. Narcissists never work alone, because if they did, then they would actually have to work. A narcissist only exists in the present. They have gaps in their memory and don't know what they did yesterday (it was a lie, and lies don't have real memories attached). They also can't plan for the future.

A sociopath is an extreme narcissist with a sadistic, jealous, vindictive dark side. They have a need to hurt people. They will rationalize and justify getting revenge on people. They are lynch mobs. They don't communicate and talk out problems, but have a NEED to believe other's are malicious so that they don't have to feel guilty when they get revenge. I grew up with a sociopath and live with a narcissist and have narcissit in-laws.

A sociopath and narcissist seem to have the same, or similar, chemical imbalance. They are not able to empathize. Emotionally stunted, aggressive, self-centered, vain, argumentative, impulsive, volatile, and can be capable of being violent. I think they share the same chemical imbalance as well as similar traits. I don't believe that environment has anything to do with becoming either, except to, maybe, give them certain personality characteristics.

Comment

--- "A sociopath is an extreme narcissist with a sadistic, jealous, vindictive dark side. They have a need to hurt people."

The plain meaning of this is that a sociopath is a certain type of narcissist. Is this correct or have I misunderstood something?

Re "Comment"

I think you hit the nail on the head. An everyday garden variety Narcissist just hurts those who happen to come along. A Sociopath is an evolved Narcissist - he goes out of his way to find people to hurt.

Answer

I think it is misleading to assume there are hard, bright lines between categories. People do not come in boxes. All human behavior exists on a three-dimensional continuum with the following axes: Empowered-Unempowered, Loving-Unloving, and Wise-Unwise; with various spectra of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual ailments arching through the Unempowered-Unloving-Unwise territories.

Nevertheless, how's this: Suppose we define the differences between and among benign narcissists, malignant narcissists, and sociopaths by what gives them their rush:

A sociopath gloats over the pain he creates, because it means he is powerful. A malignant narcissist glories in the service she compels and the turf she marks, because it means she is important. A benign narcissist basks in the admiration he receives, because it means he is valuable. (That is, beloved, talented, cool, fill in blank.)

So:

If you need constant reassurance that you are valuable, you are a benign narcissist. If you need constant reassurance that you are important, you are a malignant narcissist. If you need constant reassurance that you are powerful, you are a sociopath.

If this analysis is correct, then obviously an individual could be a little of all three, needing reassurance that he is valuable, important, and powerful; because at any moment he could be feeling worthless and/or irrelevant and/or helpless. Someone might be at one point along the spectrum this week and at another point next week.

I think another defining difference is laziness. A malignant narcissist is lazy, doing all his work with his mouth, whereas a benign narcissist will often actually strive to be genuinely valuable, and a sociopath can put inexorable and meticulous effort into setting up his victim.

Here's a characteristic all three share: Not a one of them gives a damn about the potential negative effects upon others of their self-seeking behavior. The sociopath's stance is: "I want what I want, and somebody else gets to pay for it. Don't get in my way. But then, you don't have the right to escape, and once you're in my headlights I'll chase you all over the road until I get you." The malignant narcissist's stance is: "I want what I want, and somebody else gets to pay for it. Don't get in my way. When I run over you, I'm going to be pissed off if you scratch my paint." The benign narcissist's stance is: "I want what I want, and I'll pay for it--but don't get in my way. If I accidentally happen to run over you, I'm just going to wonder what that bump was."

Answer

WOW !!! the postings above are really impressive and in depth. Makes you really think. So let me summarize by adding that narcissists might utilize lying, cheating, stealing and abusing to suit their needs (create a self image) without really thinking through what it does to others. Whilst sociopaths will become the lie, will do the evil deeds for its own sake to hurt others on purpose for the sheer joy of it. The abuse gives sociapath the control he craves.

It almost seems the sociopath is more self aware yet doesn't care.

The narcissist has no self to be aware.

First answer by anonymous. Last edit by Joncey. Contributor trust: 1573 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 348 [recommend question]