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I think human nature is best understood as a spectrum from empathy to sociopathy.
At the extreme outer ends are extreme empathy on one side (truly saintly people) and extreme sociopaths on the other side (the worst most evil criminals). Most of humanity is probably somewhere in the middle of the spectrum either closer to empath or closer to sociopath but not the extremes. But both extremes do exist at the opposite ends of the spectrum.
And of course the more sociopathic someone is the more empathetic he will choose as his targets because empaths are the easiest to manipulate and control and use and abuse.
Most important is I think to realize that sociopathy is unfortunately part of basic human nature just like empathy on the other side. I do not think the majority of humans are empaths and only a tiny minority of disordered people are sociopaths. I think sociopathy is way more common than people think. It might even be an equal distribution of empaths and sociopaths. Maybe a bell curve with most people in the middle and smaller equal amounts toward either extreme end.
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Yes, sociopathy can exist on a “spectrum”. Since sociopathy is an all-encompassing term, it is important to understand just what it encompasses and how it impacts the individual and those around him/her.
Classic sociopathy is termed “antisocial personality disorder” (ASPD), which manifests as lack of empathy and remorse, manipulation and deceit, aggressive behavior, impulsivity and recklessness, difficulty forming healthy relationships and often violation of social norms and law – but there is high functioning and low functioning within this definition. Not everyone who exhibits these symptoms has ASPD – some of these same traits show up in autism, narcissism, and some neurological or brain disorders. A low-functioning ASPD could actually be a Psychopath, who has absolutely no conscience, a complete lack of empathy and always lies and manipulates others for personal gain. Psychopaths are calculating and precise in their actions, always based on what feels good to them in the moment. Whereas a high functioning sociopath could just struggle with impulsiveness and have a hard time forming stable relationships, but be able to compensate for these issues enough to exist fairly normally in society.
I have known a whole bunch of people with this disorder – from my ex roommate who lied about everything and tried to separate me from my family, to the cheating jerk who stole thousands of dollars from me, to some bosses who had absolutely no scruples, to a few teenagers who had too much time on their hands! Not a single one checked all the boxes, and some didn’t exhibit any of the classic symptoms associated with sociopathy – but their underlying belief system and moral compass was skewed. Others – well – they could have been a Powerpoint presentation for Sociopathic Tendencies!
I think more important is what YOU will put up with. I could deal with the lying roommate for a while because she was so easy to see through. The cheating narcissist – well – I kicked him to the curb. The bosses – I found another job. The teenagers mostly grew out of it. It is important to know your own belief system, morals, conduct codes and what crosses those lines, and to live your life in a way that would make your grandma proud. The more you know about who these people are, what they are capable of, and how they can destroy your life if you let them, the better off you are. That’s why I love this site and the people posting here – it’s like an advanced university course in How To Protect Yourself.
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You are right there is a spectrum. We could talk about an empathy spectrum, with absolutely no empathy at one end (sociopaths) and lots of empathy at the other (empaths). We could also talk about a dominance spectrum, with psychopaths being highly dominant, and anxious people being not dominant at all.
And yes, there are more than we realize. I think about 12% of the population could be diagnosed with a Cluster B personality disorder or psychopathy. Dr. Liane Leedom says that about 15% of the population are not suitable to be romantic partners. This is a lot. That’s why we need to know that they are out there.
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