You’ve probably heard of narcissists. And sociopaths. But have you ever heard of a narcissistic sociopath? You’re about to right now.
We all have to deal with difficult people – it’s just a fact of life. There are liars, cheaters, mean people, and the list goes on. But, some people are just worse than others. And in many cases, it’s an actual mental illness. Sometimes it’s difficult to determine whether someone is in the “normal” category or not.
Before we discuss the reasons why a narcissistic sociopath is dangerous, let’s take a look at some commonly known mental disorders.
Mental disorders explained
We’ve all heard these terms thrown around, but unless you are trained psychologist or psychiatrist, you may not know exactly what they are. You might think you do, but some of them are similar to one another. So, let’s look at some of the characteristics of some of these mental disorders.
#1 Antisocial personality disorder. Antisocial personality disorder is a condition where the person has an ongoing pattern of not caring about, and violating, the rights of other people.
Their moral compass is just not there when it comes to how their behavior affects others. People with this disorder will probably commit crimes because they have impulsive and aggressive behavior. Asocial vs. antisocial – How the similarities end at social interactions[Read: ]
#2 Narcissistic personality disorder. People with narcissistic personality disorder have a consistent pattern of behavior in which they have a distorted and exaggerated feeling of self-importance.
They need constant admiration and don’t care about other people’s feelings. They seek power and success and take advantage of other people along the way.
#3 Bipolar disorder. Another term for bipolar disorder is manic depression. People who have this condition have periods of depression, and then also phases of an elevated mood *mania*. When they are in mania, they are abnormally energetic and happy, but then they make bad, impulsive decisions. During depression, they may not even be able to get out of bed.
#4 Sociopath. A sociopath is someone whose disorder manifests in extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior. Like some of the other disorders, they have a complete disregard for other people, and also lack a conscience. [Read: 25 Signs of covert narcissism – A different kind of mind game]
Signs of a narcissistic sociopath
Okay, now that I have thoroughly confused you with all those different definitions, you might be wondering what exactly is a narcissistic sociopath?
Well, first and foremost, let me tell you that it is a very bad combination to have. So, you probably want to stay away from these people if you see them exhibiting any of these behaviors.
#1 Carefully chooses people to reinforce their sense of grandiose self. A narcissistic sociopath is pretty smart. They know how to “choose” people to be around them who pump them up and make them feel like they are “The Shit.”
Usually, this tends to be weaker people who don’t really stand up for themselves and don’t have the ability to see who the narcissistic sociopath really is. [Read: 23 secret signs of narcissism that people overlook until it’s too late]
#2 Strong desire to have a lot of power. Sure, there are a lot of people out there who you would classify as a “leader.” Being a leader is good. Well, being a good leader is good. Being a bad leader is not good.
And so, a narcissistic sociopath craves and seeks power so that they can be in control. They are not good leaders. They strip other people of their power because they want to hoard it all for themselves.
#3 Only cares about “what’s in it for me.” Even if you catch a narcissistic sociopath doing something nice for someone, don’t let them fool you. You better believe that there is a payoff for them doing it – or else they wouldn’t be doing it. They are always thinking about how they can get rewarded in some way. They don’t care about being nice.
#4 Feels invincible, or even immortal. They think they are above the law. They think they are above the rules – they simply don’t apply to them. As a result, their behavior can be reckless and even perplexing. They don’t think they’re like normal people, so they think they can get away with pretty much anything. [Read: Selfish people – 15 ways to spot and stop them from hurting you]
#5 Has ZERO empathy for other people. Because they are so egocentric and only care about how they can benefit from any situation, they just have no empathy for others – at all. Normal people care about other people’s feelings, but not the narcissistic sociopath. They just don’t give a shit.
#6 Knows how to manage people’s impressions of them. In order to pull of all the things that they do, they have to be quite skillful at putting on a show. That way, it confuses people. One day, they may seem nice, but the next they don’t. They can manage their behavior to manipulate people quite well. [CollegeCandy.com: How to know if you’re dating a sociopath]
#7 They are highly intuitive about which people they can manipulate, and which ones they can’t. As I said earlier, they are quite picky about who they surround themselves with. They don’t want to be around anyone who calls them out on their bad behavior and blows their cover.
#8 Might seem perfectly normal at first. I know a person who I really liked when I met her. She was really outgoing, fun, and seemingly the most awesome person. I felt like I could trust her.
But years later, I finally saw who she really is. She was not anything like I thought she was. She fooled me. That’s what a narcissistic sociopath does. [Read: How to quickly spot narcissistic traits in a relationship]
#9 Requires TONS of admiration. And I mean a TON. They want everyone around them to think they are God’s gift to the planet. But they also want people to tell them that all the time. They want constant attention and admiration. It feeds their ego.
#10 Has arrogant, condescending behavior. It makes sense that if they have no empathy for others and think they are The Shit that they would act condescending on a pretty regular basis. Because they think they’re better than everyone else, they just talk down to people and let them know that they think they are scum.
#11 They woo you in the beginning to reel you in. However, in the beginning, you might be fooled, just as I was fooled with the person I just mentioned earlier. You can fall for their act, and then you get caught up in their web. But eventually, their real colors come out and you will see who they really are.
[Read: Narcissistic abuse – 16 signs that a narcissist is abusing you]
Having a mental disorder is a scary thing – for all people involved. So, if you think you know a narcissistic sociopath, maybe you should try to stay away from them if at all possible, just to save your own sanity.
