15 Signs You Are Friends With a Psychopath

As a society, we are obsessed with the idea of psychopaths and sociopaths. Regularly the subject of books and movies, focusing specifically on their tendency towards criminal acts; what you don’t realize is that psychopaths aren’t just murderers they are normal people just like me and you!

Our mainstream media paints a picture of the relatively easy to identify a psychopath, psychotic by nature. The horrifying and yet interesting tale of the serial killer who just couldn’t help themselves.

The truth is that not all psychopaths are psychotic or criminals and many are much more difficult to spot. Ronald Schouten, MD, and James Silver, JD, authors of the book ‘Almost A Psychopath’ explain that “Psychopathy is a psychological condition in which the individual shows a profound lack of empathy for the feelings of others, a willingness to engage in immoral and antisocial behavior for short-term gains, and extreme egocentricity.”

These successful actors often learn how to mask their true feelings, putting on a facade of being genuine, honest, trustworthy and compassionate. When they do slip, momentarily allowing their true feelings to come through, they are skilled at shifting the blame, distracting those around them and explaining it away. For this reason, they can befriend you, and even become a close fixture in your life, without you ever knowing their secret.

Watch for these 15 signs that you are friends with a Psychopath:

1. They have a charm about them, coming across as highly intelligent and charismatic.
2. They are easily angered, leaving those in their lives scared of setting them off.
3. They have lied to you, and others, multiple times about nearly anything, both the big and the points that would seem small and unimportant.
4. They rarely express guilt for any of their words or actions, and hardly ever apologize.
5. You will find yourself doubting your own emotions around them, questioning what you are feeling versus what they are implying you should feel or manipulating you to feel.
6. The are able to draw people into their lives in order to ensure that their needs are met.
7. They regularly share stories of questionable or shady things they have done in the past, bragging about their past exploits while leaving you feeling convinced that they have changed and are no longer ‘that person’.
8. While they have a large number of connections and acquaintances, surrounding themselves with people, they don’t really have any close friends or family members as they keep everyone at a distance.
9. They do not hesitate to break many rules right in front of you, including cheating, lying and stealing.
10. They often require very little sleep, always on the go in their quest for some form of stimulation in their lives.
11. They are extremely dangerous drivers, with high levels of road rage, incidents of DUI, and little regard for any younger passengers that may be in the vehicle.
12. They live a life of inconsistency, jumping between jobs and residences.
13. They believe that they are above the law, with no regard for rules, ethics or morality. This causes results in them often violating the rights of others.
14. They feel entitled to always come first in every scenario, with no regard for those around them.
15. They make those around them eel uncomfortable and unsafe.