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Sociopath Next Door

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Sociopath Next Door

This book by Martha Stout impacted me so much that I gave copies to all my close relatives. It’s important to me that my loved ones know one when they see one.

Is There a Sociopath Next Door?

According to Stout, about 3-5% of the population are sociopaths – that means people who lack a conscience. Fortunately, not all of them are criminals. Unfortunately, some are. Stout gave two red flags to look for:

  1. presents himself as a victim, and
  2. is charming.

Not everyone with these traits is a sociopath but they are warning signs.

An Unwitting Victim

The charming trait is obvious. It draws people in.

sociopath next door, neighbor, red flags and warning signsBut why would someone want to present themselves as a victim? A prisoner that Stout was seeing told her he likes to get people to take pity on him so that he can take advantage of them. Sociopaths love to toy with people. It’s fun for them. Nice people are easy targets.

So the next time you see someone who is a charming victim, look more closely. What do they say and do? Are they empathetic? Do they really care about others?

Stout recommends avoiding sociopaths. However, sometimes we can’t. In my next article, I’ll explore what she said in her book, Outsmarting the Sociopath Next Door.


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Author: Martha Childers

Martha Childers, EdS, LPC is a multicultural psychotherapist specializing in couples, grief and caregiver stress. Martha is a licensed professional counselor in Missouri and Kansas. She received her masters and education specialist degrees in counseling psychology from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. She practiced Zen through a variety of Japanese traditional arts for 3-1/2 years. Since that time, mindfulness has been an integral part of her life. Her interest in human nature, beliefs, and life styles led her to become a counselor.

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