There is an old parable which describes a sociopath perfectly, in which a turtle is talked into giving a scorpion a ride across a river. The turtle argues that the scorpion will sting it to death. The scorpion replied that he would not, as that would cause both their deaths. Half way across the river the scorpion stings the turtle. As they both are dying in the water the turtle asks why the scorpion would do such a thing. "Because I am a scorpion," the scorpion replied, and this explained everything.

~This was a redraw of the middle panel of this page, but I kind of turned it into it's own thing haha~

So...

Is Sasori a sociopath/psychopath?

This question has popped up a lot over the years, and I take a surprisingly large amount of interest in the thought. Why? To me, Sasori is the epitome of the disconnected man. He is a caricature of certain characteristics that commonly are thought to make up a ‘sociopath.’ Whether or not he is a sociopath, he is a fascinating and realistic character.

Sociopath and psychopath are terms that are often used interchangeably, and it is a source of disagreement among psychologists. After all, why would there be two terms if there's no difference between them? Let's compare the two terms to each other first, and then break down the term “sociopath”, the lesser-known of the two.

What are the differences between a psychopath and a sociopath?

Here is a site that explains the basic differences, but I do not agree with everything it says:

"Sociopaths tend to be nervous and easily agitated. They are volatile and prone to emotional outbursts, including fits of rage. They are likely to be uneducated and live on the fringes of society, unable to hold down a steady job or stay in one place for very long. It is difficult but not impossible for sociopaths to form attachments with others. Many sociopaths are able to form an attachment to a particular individual or group, although they have no regard for society in general or its rules. In the eyes of others, sociopaths will appear to be very disturbed. Any crimes committed by a sociopath, including murder, will tend to be haphazard, disorganized and spontaneous rather than planned.

Psychopaths, on the other hand, are unable to form emotional attachments or feel real empathy with others, although they often have disarming or even charming personalities. Psychopaths are very manipulative and can easily gain people’s trust. They learn to mimic emotions, despite their inability to actually feel them, and will appear normal to unsuspecting people. Psychopaths are often well educated and hold steady jobs. Some are so good at manipulation and mimicry that they have families and other long-term relationships without those around them ever suspecting their true nature.

When committing crimes, psychopaths carefully plan out every detail in advance and often have contingency plans in place. Unlike their sociopathic counterparts, psychopathic criminals are cool, calm, and meticulous. Their crimes, whether violent or non-violent, will be highly organized and generally offer few clues for authorities to pursue. Intelligent psychopaths make excellent white-collar criminals and "con artists" due to their calm and charismatic natures. The cause of psychopathy is different than the cause of sociopathy. It is believed that psychopathy is the largely the result of “nature” (genetics) while sociopathy is more likely the result of “nurture” (environment). Psychopathy is related to a physiological defect that results in the underdevelopment of the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and emotions. Sociopathy, on the other hand, is more likely the product of childhood trauma and physical/emotional abuse. Because sociopathy appears to be learned rather than innate, sociopaths are capable of empathy in certain limited circumstances but not in others, and with a few individuals but not others.

Psychopathy is the most dangerous of all antisocial personality disorders because of the way psychopaths dissociate emotionally from their actions, regardless of how terrible those actions may be. Many prolific and notorious serial killers, including the late Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy, and Dennis Rader ("Bind, Torture, Kill" or BTK) are unremorseful psychopaths. Psychopathic killers view their innocent victims as inhuman objects to be tormented and violated for their amusement.Contrary to popular mythology, most serial killers are not mentally ill or "evil" geniuses. "

What it says here is that sociopaths are essentially the less dangerous of the two. They are a lower grade. But what about the term “high-functioning sociopath”? What about other sites that argue that some sociopaths are born? And arguments that sociopaths can also feel no empathy? A lot of the lines differing the two terms become blurry. I use the term “sociopathy” to describe the lack of empathy for others, which psychopaths also experience. In this case, I disagree with this article, because on most sites, sociopaths are regarded as having zero ability to sympathize with others, just like psychopaths. A lot of what this article lists as differences is discussed on many other sites, and there are many different conclusions.

It is my belief that a "psychopath" is a kind of sociopath, the ultimate kind. If sociopathic tendencies can be measured, the psychopath is at the very top, unable to feel any sort of connection with others. But this is just my personal opinion.

From now on, I will be discussing sociopaths, but keep in mind that psychopaths have very few differences.

Let’s talk about sociopaths.

All of this information is my deductions based on the collective opinion of most articles on this subject.

What is a sociopath? It is a person with "a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior and a lack of conscience.” There are many sites that give us black and white depictions of sociopaths, like the one quoted above, however, the more I researched the topic, the more I found these facts to be merely just speculations. Truthfully, sociopathy is a spectrum, and attempting to define one person into a small definition is small-minded and inadequate.

There is a lot of information given on a particular site called sociopathworld.com that offers a lot of interesting content on the nature of sociopaths, mainly due to the fact that many of the users are self-proclaimed sociopaths. It is easy to pretend to be something one is not online, however, reading some of these comments quickly sheds said thoughts. These people truly do not feel empathy, nor do they feel remorse. They are sociopaths. And sociopaths are not uncommon. Recent studies have shown that approximately 1 in 25 people are sociopaths.

The thought of a person walking around with no true regard to others frightens most people, because they feel vulnerable in front of them. Sociopaths are perceived as intelligent in media typically, but not all sociopaths have high IQs, or function in society well. A high-functioning sociopath is the sociopath who doesn’t stand out- the one with superb actings skills. They have to wear a mask each and every second they are around others, and they do so because they must. Sociopaths will attempt to be “good people.” This is because they want to be well-liked and live a comfortable life, not because of their sense of morality. To put it simply, if it is convenient for them, they will try to be kind.

I have found that many people have a very malicious viewpoint of sociopaths, and it is indeed because they are scared of them, or have had personal issues with them. A sociopath will certainly manipulate you if you allow them, and they will do so without remorse or sympathy for your regard. They do not understand empathy, because they do not experience it.

But does that mean they are evil? No. They are a different breed of human- people who lack certain emotions. They cannot help what they do or do not feel. There are no real records of a sociopath being treated, most likely because they are physically incapable of doing so. It's still good to avoid them though haha.

Some questions:

Are sociopaths born or made?

No one really knows. I would say both. Sociopathy is comprised of countless different strains of people. Some may be born this way, others eventually losing their connection to others as time passes. Some may desire what others do not.

Do sociopaths know they are sociopaths?

"The short answer is yes, sociopaths are generally aware that they are sociopaths. This is one of the differences between sociopaths and narcissists. Sociopaths know they are different from other people, but can force themselves to think and act like a neurotypical person. Narcissists think they think and feel the same as other people (just better) and are consequently less able to alter their behavior, even if it would be in their best interest (compare, narcissists, who really struggle with this).
The longer answer is that it may take a while for sociopaths to learn that everyone else is not like them. Most young children have sociopathic-esque tendencies: self-centeredness, lack of empathy, lack of consideration for others, dominant primal emotions, etc. It may not be immediately obvious to sociopathic youngsters when and if their peers have progressed past these "limitations" on their way to emotional maturity.Meanwhile, the sociopath is undergoing his own changes. The sociopath is gaining a greater understanding of self. High functioning sociopaths learn that not only can they manipulate others, they can also manipulate themselves. This self manipulation can perform the same function as self control.After the sociopath acquires greater self knowledge and self mastery, he may still be unaware that he is different. Instead, he may assume that other humans have just completed their own similar transformation. When the sociopath learns that he is the only one like him, it can be disappointing. It can be exhilarating too, but it will always be lonely. Not like most sociopaths mind (at least most of the time)."Quote from this article.

Do sociopaths feel emotions like sadness or love?

Yes, of course they do. But it is always for a selfish purpose. A sociopath will feel sad if he feels that he has lost something, like any other person would. But feeling sad on others' behalfs is not a part of it. As for love, they feel possessive love. To them, a loved one would be someone who entertains them or is useful to them.

Do sociopaths feel empty?

My main question was ‘do they feel incomplete?’ Reading most comments from self-proclaimed sociopaths, I would say yes, they feel a sense of emptiness sometimes. They are constantly searching for stimuli, for gratification, but it always appears to be slightly out of reach. They are trying to find their sense of completeness, just like the rest of us, but their answers may differ from ours. But they mostly say that it doesn't bother them very often, or to a high degree.

Do sociopaths has a sense of morality?

What is the definition of morality? My own father states that it is "what you do when no one else is looking". I found multiple self-proclaimed sociopaths stating that they are more moral than “empaths", however, that would be a misstatement. If no one is around to judge a sociopaths actions, why would the sociopath bother putting on an act? It does not matter whether the sociopath acts moral where others can see. It is about what they will be willing to do when no one is watching. So, I would say no.

Can sociopaths change?

There has been no record of a treated sociopath, unfortunately. This is a mental disorder that affects a lot of people, and it would be wonderful if sociopaths could feel empathy. Many sociopaths would disagree, since they see empathy of weakness, but that is because they haven't experienced it. The sociopaths who are made would have a higher chance than those who are born.

So, what about Sasori? Does he fit the description of a sociopath or a psychopath? Let’s talk about Sasori, and see which term suits him better:

Yes, he fits pretty much all of the requirements to be one or the other. Actually, when I hear the word “sociopath", I think of Sasori immediately. (I typically prefer the term “sociopath" for him, because “psychopath” comes with too many general misconceptions.) All that leaves is just how sociopathic he is. As I have mentioned before, sociopathic tendencies can be great or small, and it is a spectrum, not black or white. The question is how much?

Sasori’s lonely childhood would certainly be enough to permanently screw up a person. It has been proven in studies that humans require affection and love to grow up properly. Denied that love, and the child will search for it in other areas, or find ways to live without it. This creates disconnection from humanity. Sasori is very disconnected from others by the time we see him as a teen. He spends most of his time with his puppets. It is important to recognize that Sasori sees his puppets as people. His grandmother gave him puppets, which became his source of joy in life, and he took it to the ultimate level. He no longer sought out relationships with real people. Rather, he made his family himself. In Sasori’s mind, he doesn’t need people. He seeks out happiness through other things, things that only require himself to attain. This is a trait of a sociopath.

Sasori also makes it clear that he doesn’t see himself as a normal person. He is highly intelligent and observant of society. He takes note of human nature and can act like a normal person when he pleases. He is also prone to violent outbursts, another sociopathic trait. He kills people without reservation- he sees people as his toys. He only begins to see Sakura as someone to respect when she forces him to acknowledge her. He looks down on others and has no qualms with manipulating them to obtain what he desires.

I firmly believe that he was capable of loving another in his younger years, and is still capable of sympathy to a certain degree. In that regard, he does not suit the sociopathic definition, according to my analysis of his character. This can vary, depending on whether you agree with this fact or not. Why do I think Sasori feels love for others? He has a sense of pain and loneliness that sociopaths do not seem to typically be aware of. He was never an overly emotional person, but he showed sadness for his parents’ deaths, and attempted to recreate that feeling of love from puppets. He also attempted to help his teammate, Komushi, when he lost his arm. When that didn't work out as planned, and Komushi died because he accidentally ingested some of the poison Sasori placed in the arm, Sasori tried to help out once more. We see Komushi's parents begging Sasori to fix their son, and so, he does. He makes Komushi into his first human puppet. Why, though? He didn't do this just for his own entertainment. He did it because he felt he should make up for Komushi's tragic death. This is a sense of responsibility. Sasori is in his early teens here, and this is before he goes rouge and starts killing people for his collection.

My main reason to believe that Sasori feels empathy is that he does seek love from others, and not for a solely self-serving purpose. We see that Sasori has replaced people with puppets, and by doing so, has severed his connection with humanity. But his puppets resemble people. He loves them. And he wants them to love him back.

The thing is that I don’t think Sasori was born with an anti-personality disorder, so in that regard, he would be a sociopath, according to the first article I quoted. But other than that, he definitely fits the description of a psychopath. Because Sasori IS a genius, cold and calculating, and precise.

So which is he? Honestly, I don't think it really matters much. I focused on sociopaths, because they are lesser known, but since most of the differing characteristics are blurred, they are very similar to psychopaths. And psychopaths are misunderstood as well, which is also why I got into detail about sociopaths. They are very similar.
Now, if I were to stick to the first article's definitions, Sasori would be a sociopath, also because he can feel empathy to a certain degree, according to my own anaysis of his character. I prefer to call him a sociopath, specifically a high-functioning sociopath, because there are less misconceptions. Calling Sasori a "psychopath" doesn't sit right with me, because of the associations the word comes with.

Therefore, I will refer to Sasori as a sociopath.
Thanks for reading if you made it all the way through! :D (Big Grin)

Even if you don't agree on some specific points, I'm sure we can all agree that Sasori is one of the two. Gosh, I hope this made sense... Let me know if there's any way I can improve this, like shifting paragraghs or getting rid of stuff, or things that need to be explained better.
(As for the parable, I also got that from sociopath world. I recommend checking it out, because it is very eye-opening.)