Bite Size Psychology
Psychopath, Sociopath or Narcissist — How To Spot The Difference
No — they’re not all serial killers the way they are portrayed in movies.
When people are “difficult” to be around, it’s easy to toss off labels like psychopath or narcissist — a lot of people are using these terms interchangeably but each is a distinct psychological disorder.
Here’s a key difference to remember right off the bat:
Every psychopath is narcissistic but not every narcissist is a psychopath.
Narcissist vs Psychopath
Narcissism exists on a continuum, but someone with NPD is grandiose, lacks empathy, and needs admiration from others.
Narcissism is a disorder of self-esteem. They are deeply insecure so they want everyone around them to feel insecure. Their defense is to drag everyone down so they can feel superior.
When narcissists do a bad thing, they feel some degree of shame and guilt.
Their shame is more of a public emotion focused on the judgement of others, rather than regretting their wrongdoings.
A psychopath, on the other hand, doesn’t feel remorse when they do something bad; they simply…
