Author: Martha Stout
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 0307589072
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
"From Dr. Martha Stout's influential work The Sociopath Next Door, we learned how to identify a sociopath. Now she tells us what to actually do about it. Using the many chilling and often heartbreaking emails and letters she has received over the years, Dr. Stout uncovers the psychology behind the sociopath's methods and provides concrete guidelines to help navigate these dangerous interactions"--
Outsmarting the Sociopath Next Door
Author: Martha Stout
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 0307589072
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
"From Dr. Martha Stout's influential work The Sociopath Next Door, we learned how to identify a sociopath. Now she tells us what to actually do about it. Using the many chilling and often heartbreaking emails and letters she has received over the years, Dr. Stout uncovers the psychology behind the sociopath's methods and provides concrete guidelines to help navigate these dangerous interactions"--
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 0307589072
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
"From Dr. Martha Stout's influential work The Sociopath Next Door, we learned how to identify a sociopath. Now she tells us what to actually do about it. Using the many chilling and often heartbreaking emails and letters she has received over the years, Dr. Stout uncovers the psychology behind the sociopath's methods and provides concrete guidelines to help navigate these dangerous interactions"--
The Sociopath Next Door
Author: Martha Stout, Ph.D.
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 0767920201
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 258
Book Description
Who is the devil you know? Is it your lying, cheating ex-husband? Your sadistic high school gym teacher? Your boss who loves to humiliate people in meetings? The colleague who stole your idea and passed it off as her own? In the pages of The Sociopath Next Door, you will realize that your ex was not just misunderstood. He’s a sociopath. And your boss, teacher, and colleague? They may be sociopaths too. We are accustomed to think of sociopaths as violent criminals, but in The Sociopath Next Door, Harvard psychologist Martha Stout reveals that a shocking 4 percent of ordinary people—one in twenty-five—has an often undetected mental disorder, the chief symptom of which is that that person possesses no conscience. He or she has no ability whatsoever to feel shame, guilt, or remorse. One in twenty-five everyday Americans, therefore, is secretly a sociopath. They could be your colleague, your neighbor, even family. And they can do literally anything at all and feel absolutely no guilt. How do we recognize the remorseless? One of their chief characteristics is a kind of glow or charisma that makes sociopaths more charming or interesting than the other people around them. They’re more spontaneous, more intense, more complex, or even sexier than everyone else, making them tricky to identify and leaving us easily seduced. Fundamentally, sociopaths are different because they cannot love. Sociopaths learn early on to show sham emotion, but underneath they are indifferent to others’ suffering. They live to dominate and thrill to win. The fact is, we all almost certainly know at least one or more sociopaths already. Part of the urgency in reading The Sociopath Next Door is the moment when we suddenly recognize that someone we know—someone we worked for, or were involved with, or voted for—is a sociopath. But what do we do with that knowledge? To arm us against the sociopath, Dr. Stout teaches us to question authority, suspect flattery, and beware the pity play. Above all, she writes, when a sociopath is beckoning, do not join the game. It is the ruthless versus the rest of us, and The Sociopath Next Door will show you how to recognize and defeat the devil you know.
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 0767920201
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 258
Book Description
Who is the devil you know? Is it your lying, cheating ex-husband? Your sadistic high school gym teacher? Your boss who loves to humiliate people in meetings? The colleague who stole your idea and passed it off as her own? In the pages of The Sociopath Next Door, you will realize that your ex was not just misunderstood. He’s a sociopath. And your boss, teacher, and colleague? They may be sociopaths too. We are accustomed to think of sociopaths as violent criminals, but in The Sociopath Next Door, Harvard psychologist Martha Stout reveals that a shocking 4 percent of ordinary people—one in twenty-five—has an often undetected mental disorder, the chief symptom of which is that that person possesses no conscience. He or she has no ability whatsoever to feel shame, guilt, or remorse. One in twenty-five everyday Americans, therefore, is secretly a sociopath. They could be your colleague, your neighbor, even family. And they can do literally anything at all and feel absolutely no guilt. How do we recognize the remorseless? One of their chief characteristics is a kind of glow or charisma that makes sociopaths more charming or interesting than the other people around them. They’re more spontaneous, more intense, more complex, or even sexier than everyone else, making them tricky to identify and leaving us easily seduced. Fundamentally, sociopaths are different because they cannot love. Sociopaths learn early on to show sham emotion, but underneath they are indifferent to others’ suffering. They live to dominate and thrill to win. The fact is, we all almost certainly know at least one or more sociopaths already. Part of the urgency in reading The Sociopath Next Door is the moment when we suddenly recognize that someone we know—someone we worked for, or were involved with, or voted for—is a sociopath. But what do we do with that knowledge? To arm us against the sociopath, Dr. Stout teaches us to question authority, suspect flattery, and beware the pity play. Above all, she writes, when a sociopath is beckoning, do not join the game. It is the ruthless versus the rest of us, and The Sociopath Next Door will show you how to recognize and defeat the devil you know.
The Myth of Sanity
Author: Martha Stout
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101161639
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 235
Book Description
Why does a gifted psychiatrist suddenly begin to torment his own beloved wife? How can a ninety-pound woman carry a massive air conditioner to the second floor of her home, install it in a window unassisted, and then not remember how it got there? Why would a brilliant feminist law student ask her fiancé to treat her like a helpless little girl? How can an ordinary, violence-fearing businessman once have been a gun-packing vigilante prowling the crime districts for a fight? A startling new study in human consciousness, The Myth of Sanity is a landmark book about forgotten trauma, dissociated mental states, and multiple personality in everyday life. In its groundbreaking analysis of childhood trauma and dissociation and their far-reaching implications in adult life, it reveals that moderate dissociation is a normal mental reaction to pain and that even the most extreme dissociative reaction-multiple personality-is more common than we think. Through astonishing stories of people whose lives have been shattered by trauma and then remade, The Myth of Sanity shows us how to recognize these altered mental states in friends and family, even in ourselves.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101161639
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 235
Book Description
Why does a gifted psychiatrist suddenly begin to torment his own beloved wife? How can a ninety-pound woman carry a massive air conditioner to the second floor of her home, install it in a window unassisted, and then not remember how it got there? Why would a brilliant feminist law student ask her fiancé to treat her like a helpless little girl? How can an ordinary, violence-fearing businessman once have been a gun-packing vigilante prowling the crime districts for a fight? A startling new study in human consciousness, The Myth of Sanity is a landmark book about forgotten trauma, dissociated mental states, and multiple personality in everyday life. In its groundbreaking analysis of childhood trauma and dissociation and their far-reaching implications in adult life, it reveals that moderate dissociation is a normal mental reaction to pain and that even the most extreme dissociative reaction-multiple personality-is more common than we think. Through astonishing stories of people whose lives have been shattered by trauma and then remade, The Myth of Sanity shows us how to recognize these altered mental states in friends and family, even in ourselves.
Confessions of a Sociopath
Author: M.E. Thomas
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0307956660
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
The memoir of a high-functioning, law-abiding (well, mostly) sociopath and a roadmap—right from the source—for dealing with the sociopath in your life. “[A] gripping and important book . . . revelatory . . . quite the memorable roller coaster ride.”—The New York Times Book Review As M.E. Thomas says of her fellow sociopaths, “We are your neighbors, your coworkers, and quite possibly the people closest to you: lovers, family, friends. Our risk-seeking behavior and general fearlessness are thrilling, our glibness and charm alluring. Our often quick wit and outside-the-box thinking make us appear intelligent—even brilliant. We climb the corporate ladder faster than the rest, and appear to have limitless self-confidence. Who are we? We are highly successful, noncriminal sociopaths and we comprise 4 percent of the American population.” Confessions of a Sociopath—part confessional memoir, part primer for the curious—takes readers on a journey into the mind of a sociopath, revealing what makes them tick while debunking myths about sociopathy and offering a road map for dealing with the sociopaths in your life. M. E. Thomas draws from her own experiences as a diagnosed sociopath; her popular blog, Sociopathworld; and scientific literature to unveil for the very first time these men and women who are “hiding in plain sight.”
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0307956660
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
The memoir of a high-functioning, law-abiding (well, mostly) sociopath and a roadmap—right from the source—for dealing with the sociopath in your life. “[A] gripping and important book . . . revelatory . . . quite the memorable roller coaster ride.”—The New York Times Book Review As M.E. Thomas says of her fellow sociopaths, “We are your neighbors, your coworkers, and quite possibly the people closest to you: lovers, family, friends. Our risk-seeking behavior and general fearlessness are thrilling, our glibness and charm alluring. Our often quick wit and outside-the-box thinking make us appear intelligent—even brilliant. We climb the corporate ladder faster than the rest, and appear to have limitless self-confidence. Who are we? We are highly successful, noncriminal sociopaths and we comprise 4 percent of the American population.” Confessions of a Sociopath—part confessional memoir, part primer for the curious—takes readers on a journey into the mind of a sociopath, revealing what makes them tick while debunking myths about sociopathy and offering a road map for dealing with the sociopaths in your life. M. E. Thomas draws from her own experiences as a diagnosed sociopath; her popular blog, Sociopathworld; and scientific literature to unveil for the very first time these men and women who are “hiding in plain sight.”
Without Conscience
Author: Robert D. Hare
Publisher: Guilford Press
ISBN: 1606235788
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 258
Book Description
Most people are both repelled and intrigued by the images of cold-blooded, conscienceless murderers that increasingly populate our movies, television programs, and newspaper headlines. With their flagrant criminal violation of society's rules, serial killers like Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy are among the most dramatic examples of the psychopath. Individuals with this personality disorder are fully aware of the consequences of their actions and know the difference between right and wrong, yet they are terrifyingly self-centered, remorseless, and unable to care about the feelings of others. Perhaps most frightening, they often seem completely normal to unsuspecting targets--and they do not always ply their trade by killing. Presenting a compelling portrait of these dangerous men and women based on 25 years of distinguished scientific research, Dr. Robert D. Hare vividly describes a world of con artists, hustlers, rapists, and other predators who charm, lie, and manipulate their way through life. Are psychopaths mad, or simply bad? How can they be recognized? And how can we protect ourselves? This book provides solid information and surprising insights for anyone seeking to understand this devastating condition.
Publisher: Guilford Press
ISBN: 1606235788
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 258
Book Description
Most people are both repelled and intrigued by the images of cold-blooded, conscienceless murderers that increasingly populate our movies, television programs, and newspaper headlines. With their flagrant criminal violation of society's rules, serial killers like Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy are among the most dramatic examples of the psychopath. Individuals with this personality disorder are fully aware of the consequences of their actions and know the difference between right and wrong, yet they are terrifyingly self-centered, remorseless, and unable to care about the feelings of others. Perhaps most frightening, they often seem completely normal to unsuspecting targets--and they do not always ply their trade by killing. Presenting a compelling portrait of these dangerous men and women based on 25 years of distinguished scientific research, Dr. Robert D. Hare vividly describes a world of con artists, hustlers, rapists, and other predators who charm, lie, and manipulate their way through life. Are psychopaths mad, or simply bad? How can they be recognized? And how can we protect ourselves? This book provides solid information and surprising insights for anyone seeking to understand this devastating condition.
Snakes in Suits
Author: Dr. Paul Babiak
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 006185445X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
Revised and updated with the latest scientific research and updated case studies, the business classic that offers a revealing look at psychopaths in the workplace—how to spot their destructive behavior and stop them from creating chaos in the modern corporate organization. Over the past decade, Snakes in Suits has become the definitive book on how to discover and defend yourself against psychopaths in the office. Now, Dr. Paul Babiak and Dr. Robert D. Hare return with a revised and updated edition of their essential guide. All of us at some point have—or will—come into contact with psychopathic individuals. The danger they present may not be readily apparent because of their ability to charm, deceive, and manipulate. Although not necessarily criminal, their self-serving nature frequently is destructive to the organizations that employ them. So how can we protect ourselves and our organizations in a business climate that offers the perfect conditions for psychopaths to thrive? In Snakes in Suits, Hare, an expert on the scientific study of psychopathy, and Babiak, an industrial and organizational psychologist and a leading authority on the corporate psychopath, examine the role of psychopaths in modern corporations and provide the tools employers can use to avoid and deal with them. Together, they have developed the B-Scan 360, a research tool designed specifically for business professionals. Dr. Babiak and Dr. Hare reveal the secret lives of psychopaths, explain the ways in which they manipulate and deceive, and help you to see through their games. The rapid pace of today’s corporate environment provides the perfect breeding ground for these "snakes in suits" and this newly revised and updated classic gives you the insight, information, and power to protect yourself and your company before it’s too late.
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 006185445X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
Revised and updated with the latest scientific research and updated case studies, the business classic that offers a revealing look at psychopaths in the workplace—how to spot their destructive behavior and stop them from creating chaos in the modern corporate organization. Over the past decade, Snakes in Suits has become the definitive book on how to discover and defend yourself against psychopaths in the office. Now, Dr. Paul Babiak and Dr. Robert D. Hare return with a revised and updated edition of their essential guide. All of us at some point have—or will—come into contact with psychopathic individuals. The danger they present may not be readily apparent because of their ability to charm, deceive, and manipulate. Although not necessarily criminal, their self-serving nature frequently is destructive to the organizations that employ them. So how can we protect ourselves and our organizations in a business climate that offers the perfect conditions for psychopaths to thrive? In Snakes in Suits, Hare, an expert on the scientific study of psychopathy, and Babiak, an industrial and organizational psychologist and a leading authority on the corporate psychopath, examine the role of psychopaths in modern corporations and provide the tools employers can use to avoid and deal with them. Together, they have developed the B-Scan 360, a research tool designed specifically for business professionals. Dr. Babiak and Dr. Hare reveal the secret lives of psychopaths, explain the ways in which they manipulate and deceive, and help you to see through their games. The rapid pace of today’s corporate environment provides the perfect breeding ground for these "snakes in suits" and this newly revised and updated classic gives you the insight, information, and power to protect yourself and your company before it’s too late.
The Narcissist You Know
Author: Joseph Burgo
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1476785694
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
"Burgo has developed a ... guidebook to help you 'spot narcissists out there in the wild' (Glamour) and then understand and manage the narcissistic personalities in your own life. Relying on detailed profiles, vignettes from the authors practice, and celebrity biographies, [this book] offers ... tools and solutions you can use to defuse hostile situations and survive assaults on your self-esteem should you ever find yourself in an extreme narcissist's orbit"--Amazon.com.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1476785694
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
"Burgo has developed a ... guidebook to help you 'spot narcissists out there in the wild' (Glamour) and then understand and manage the narcissistic personalities in your own life. Relying on detailed profiles, vignettes from the authors practice, and celebrity biographies, [this book] offers ... tools and solutions you can use to defuse hostile situations and survive assaults on your self-esteem should you ever find yourself in an extreme narcissist's orbit"--Amazon.com.
The Psychopath Whisperer
Author: Kent A. Kiehl, PhD
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0770435858
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 313
Book Description
A compelling journey into the science and behavior of psychopaths, written by the leading scientist in the field of criminal psychopathy. We know of psychopaths from chilling headlines and stories in the news and movies—from Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy, to Hannibal Lecter and Dexter Morgan. As Dr. Kent Kiehl shows, psychopaths can be identified by a checklist of symptoms that includes pathological lying; lack of empathy, guilt, and remorse; grandiose sense of self-worth; manipulation; and failure to accept one’s actions. But why do psychopaths behave the way they do? Is it the result of their environment— how they were raised—or is there a genetic component to their lack of conscience? This is the question Kiehl, a protégé of famed psychopath researcher Dr. Robert Hare, was determined to answer as he began his career twenty years ago. To aid in his quest to unravel the psychopathic mind, Kiehl created the first mobile functional MRI scanner to study psychopaths in prison populations. The brains of more than five hundred psychopaths and three thousand other offenders have been scanned by Kiehl’s laboratory—the world’s largest forensic neuroscience repository of its kind. Over the course of The Psychopath Whisperer, we follow the scientific bread crumbs that Kiehl uncovered to show that the key brain structures that correspond with emotional engagement and reactions are diminished in psychopaths, offering new clues to how to predict and treat the disorder. In The Psychopath Whisperer, Kiehl describes in fascinating detail his years working with psychopaths and studying their thought processes— from the remorseless serial killers he meets with behind bars to children whose behavior and personality traits exhibit the early warning signs of psychopathy. Less than 1 percent of the general population meets the criteria for psychopathy. But psychopaths account for a vastly outsized proportion of violent crimes. And as Kiehl shows, many who aren’t psychopaths exhibit some of the behaviors and traits associated with the condition. What do you do if you discover your roommate, or boss, or the person you are dating has traits that define a psychopath? And what does having a diminished limbic region of the brain mean for how the legal system approaches crimes committed by psychopaths? A compelling narrative of cutting-edge science, The Psychopath Whisperer will open your eyes on a fascinating but little understood world, with startling implications for society, the law, and our personal lives.
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0770435858
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 313
Book Description
A compelling journey into the science and behavior of psychopaths, written by the leading scientist in the field of criminal psychopathy. We know of psychopaths from chilling headlines and stories in the news and movies—from Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy, to Hannibal Lecter and Dexter Morgan. As Dr. Kent Kiehl shows, psychopaths can be identified by a checklist of symptoms that includes pathological lying; lack of empathy, guilt, and remorse; grandiose sense of self-worth; manipulation; and failure to accept one’s actions. But why do psychopaths behave the way they do? Is it the result of their environment— how they were raised—or is there a genetic component to their lack of conscience? This is the question Kiehl, a protégé of famed psychopath researcher Dr. Robert Hare, was determined to answer as he began his career twenty years ago. To aid in his quest to unravel the psychopathic mind, Kiehl created the first mobile functional MRI scanner to study psychopaths in prison populations. The brains of more than five hundred psychopaths and three thousand other offenders have been scanned by Kiehl’s laboratory—the world’s largest forensic neuroscience repository of its kind. Over the course of The Psychopath Whisperer, we follow the scientific bread crumbs that Kiehl uncovered to show that the key brain structures that correspond with emotional engagement and reactions are diminished in psychopaths, offering new clues to how to predict and treat the disorder. In The Psychopath Whisperer, Kiehl describes in fascinating detail his years working with psychopaths and studying their thought processes— from the remorseless serial killers he meets with behind bars to children whose behavior and personality traits exhibit the early warning signs of psychopathy. Less than 1 percent of the general population meets the criteria for psychopathy. But psychopaths account for a vastly outsized proportion of violent crimes. And as Kiehl shows, many who aren’t psychopaths exhibit some of the behaviors and traits associated with the condition. What do you do if you discover your roommate, or boss, or the person you are dating has traits that define a psychopath? And what does having a diminished limbic region of the brain mean for how the legal system approaches crimes committed by psychopaths? A compelling narrative of cutting-edge science, The Psychopath Whisperer will open your eyes on a fascinating but little understood world, with startling implications for society, the law, and our personal lives.
The Paranoid's Pocket Guide to Mental Disorders You Can Just Feel Coming On
Author: Dennis DiClaudio
Publisher: becker&mayer! Books
ISBN: 0760366306
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 211
Book Description
Giving neurotics everywhere something to worry about, The Paranoid's Pocket Guide to Mental Disorders You Can Just Feel Coming On profiles more than 40 of the most outrageous and yet eerily familiar psychological disorders—a fascinating array of obsessions, compulsions, phobias, fixations, and full-blown mental maladies. Every disorder is well documented, including common symptoms, causes, and treatment options, along with a handy quiz for easy self-diagnosis. And in case you can't tell whether or not you're losing it, each entry includes a sample inner monologue detailing the thought processes at play—because sometimes you don't know you're crazy until you see it in writing. Hot on the heels of the equally hilarious The Hypochondriac's Pocket Guide to Horrible Diseases You Probably Already Have, the Paranoid's Guide will have even the most rational thinkers second-guessing their sanity.
Publisher: becker&mayer! Books
ISBN: 0760366306
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 211
Book Description
Giving neurotics everywhere something to worry about, The Paranoid's Pocket Guide to Mental Disorders You Can Just Feel Coming On profiles more than 40 of the most outrageous and yet eerily familiar psychological disorders—a fascinating array of obsessions, compulsions, phobias, fixations, and full-blown mental maladies. Every disorder is well documented, including common symptoms, causes, and treatment options, along with a handy quiz for easy self-diagnosis. And in case you can't tell whether or not you're losing it, each entry includes a sample inner monologue detailing the thought processes at play—because sometimes you don't know you're crazy until you see it in writing. Hot on the heels of the equally hilarious The Hypochondriac's Pocket Guide to Horrible Diseases You Probably Already Have, the Paranoid's Guide will have even the most rational thinkers second-guessing their sanity.
Sociopath and Psychopath
Author: Ken Fisher
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781541256200
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 126
Book Description
Sociopath and Psychopath: The Worst of both worlds - How to detect, avoid, and counter-attack their behavior How about other friends and associates? Have you been introduced to their family? Perhaps you can't understand why someone who is so lovely and charming and who you consider to be a wonderful human being, has such few friends. Maybe this is because the ones that came before you have already experienced their other side. If you question this, you will discover that sociopaths are natural liars. You'll be told how terribly wrong their previous partner treated them, or how their entire family was taken out in a single tragic accident, and that's why they are alone. There are ways to independently investigate such grandiose claims. If you're suspicious, do not take anything at face value. Along with a similar line, watch out for anyone who tries to isolate you from your own friends and support groups. Sociopaths like to remove you from any other support so that you don't have the ability to pull back or have someone else removed from such situation, or even point out to you just how strange your new boyfriend is. Despite how glib and charming they may first appear, sociopaths are actually often socially immature when it comes to the core of it. They can be extremely selfish and needy, to the point of obsession. If you've confirmed that someone you know is a sociopath, then it's best to simply avoid that individual as much as possible. If that person is in one of the regular circles you travel daily, for example, a co-worker or friends with your other friends, then it may not be possible to avoid them completely. However, this does not mean that you should display hostility towards such an individual when you do have to deal with them or more-so, tell them that you think they are a sociopath. This can actually put you in a dangerous position, and make the sociopath even more determined to 'win' you over because this is instant gratification for him. Simply divert the discussion where possible, or refuse to engage beyond simple replies to direct questions only.
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781541256200
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 126
Book Description
Sociopath and Psychopath: The Worst of both worlds - How to detect, avoid, and counter-attack their behavior How about other friends and associates? Have you been introduced to their family? Perhaps you can't understand why someone who is so lovely and charming and who you consider to be a wonderful human being, has such few friends. Maybe this is because the ones that came before you have already experienced their other side. If you question this, you will discover that sociopaths are natural liars. You'll be told how terribly wrong their previous partner treated them, or how their entire family was taken out in a single tragic accident, and that's why they are alone. There are ways to independently investigate such grandiose claims. If you're suspicious, do not take anything at face value. Along with a similar line, watch out for anyone who tries to isolate you from your own friends and support groups. Sociopaths like to remove you from any other support so that you don't have the ability to pull back or have someone else removed from such situation, or even point out to you just how strange your new boyfriend is. Despite how glib and charming they may first appear, sociopaths are actually often socially immature when it comes to the core of it. They can be extremely selfish and needy, to the point of obsession. If you've confirmed that someone you know is a sociopath, then it's best to simply avoid that individual as much as possible. If that person is in one of the regular circles you travel daily, for example, a co-worker or friends with your other friends, then it may not be possible to avoid them completely. However, this does not mean that you should display hostility towards such an individual when you do have to deal with them or more-so, tell them that you think they are a sociopath. This can actually put you in a dangerous position, and make the sociopath even more determined to 'win' you over because this is instant gratification for him. Simply divert the discussion where possible, or refuse to engage beyond simple replies to direct questions only.