Tips for writing a sociopath:
While I've already made a post about the differences in writing psychopaths and sociopaths, I found it might be more helpful that I expand on each individually.
Do keep in mind that I am in no way a professional, I'm just a writer who's done her research and have written characters with ASPD before.
1- Conscious Sociopaths do have a conscious, a very weak one, that is often overshadowed by ego or impulse. So they are capable of feeling empathy and guilt.
What does this mean for your character? It means that while they lie and cheat, they can feel bad for their victims, it's just that they're able to ignore this feeling or it's overpowered by other feelings, often a need to be the best.
2- Ego Sociopaths are more often than not, fueled by ego, and a need to be liked and admired. They care what people think of them, and require praise for the things they do.
Sociopaths often look at more shallow methods of being the best, they don't try to be the best in how good they are to others, rather they try to be the richest, the smartest, the most attractive, etc.
3- Lying Sociopaths don't mind lying, more often than not, it's the easier option for them. They have little to no moral opposition to it, if it benefits them, they'll do it.
This applies to other things that someone without ASPD would consider wrong, cheating, betraying, and so on.
If it benefits a sociopath, they will do it.
4- Consequences. On that same note, sociopaths care how they appear to others, so they will try to keep any moral wrongdoing hidden from the public, to maintain their image and reputation.
5- Self-awareness A sociopath is not aware that they are a sociopath, maybe they can be made aware of the fact, but more often than not, they will be enraged if a label like that is put on them, because it can ruin their image.
Your average sociopath doesn't know that they're a sociopath, they'll think they're simply better than those around them, or more dedicated to things.
They will view themselves as the standard, making them very distrustful of people. Because if they lie and cheat, obviously everyone else does too, right?
6- Impulsiveness How impulsive a sociopath is depends on many personality factors, some people are just better at evaluating the future than others, this applies to sociopaths as well. But more often than not, a sociopath will be more impulsive than your average person, craving instant validation over long-term commitment to something.
7- Why? As far as my knowledge goes, sociopaths are the way they are due to factors in their childhood, often abuse.
Unlike psychopaths, who are born with the condition, sociopaths develop it in childhood.
This could explain the existence of a conscious, while psychopaths lack one. They still feel bad because inside them is a child who still feels, but a child who was hurt and abused enough to lose all hope in the world and the people in it.
This causes sociopaths to be distrusting of everything and everyone, making them incapable of forming geniune connection with people, which turns into loneliness.
Remember that sociopaths are not evil, no one with ASPD is, this tip post is of general information that I like to keep in mind with my characters. Your character may choose not to lie or cheat, they may be more or less impulsive, etc. At the end of the day, just make sure not to make the fact that they're a sociopath their entire personality.
That's all for this post, feel free to ask me questions in the comments about the specific character you're writing cause I always love answering those!
Maybe some of this advice will help, maybe it won't, either way, I hope this feline has enlightened you!
