If you have had the misfortune of dealing with a narcissist or sociopath, you know all too well how damaging their presence in someone’s life can be.

You are aware of what they can do to their victims and how dangerous they are.

However, what many people don’t know is that although they have many similar personality traits, being a sociopath and being a narcissist are not the same thing.

Here are the 5 most important differences between them.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder vs. Antisocial Personality Disorder

First and foremost, you need to know the difference between narcissistic personality disorder, which is a trait of narcissists, and antisocial personality disorder, which sociopaths suffer from.

Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental disorder that gives you a distorted sense of self-importance, causing you to believe that everything revolves around you, and constantly act as if you are above everyone else.

However, what appears to be a state of extremely high confidence is a set of thinly disguised insecurities.

Narcissists need constant approval and only lie to themselves and others that their self-esteem is not low.

On the other hand, antisocial personality disorder is a mental disorder in which a person has no sense of right or wrong and the person does not show any compassion or empathy.

These people do not have a high sense of morality and rarely follow social norms.

Sociopaths are more dangerous

Although being the victim of a narcissist can seriously damage your mental health, leave indelible scars on your heart and soul, and harm you beyond repair, dealing with a sociopath is much more dangerous.

Sociopaths have no scruples and do not hesitate to do anything that helps them achieve their goals, despite the consequences their actions may have on others.

Sociopaths are also often physically abusive towards their victims, which can include people and animals.

It is not uncommon for them to have a history of criminal offenses and display socially unacceptable behavior.

Narcissists are selfish while sociopaths care more about their victims

One crucial difference between these two species is their initial behavior towards their victims.

While narcissists are always concerned with themselves and ways to gain admiration and approval, sociopaths will focus more on their subjects.

Being in any type of relationship with a narcissist means that everything revolves around them, they should always be praised, and they expect you to agree with them at all times.

On the contrary, a sociopath makes everything revolve around you, doing everything he can to get to the core of your personality.

When you first meet a sociopath, they seem like they are selfless people who will always listen to you and won’t mind putting your needs before their own.

However, this is all part of their style and a way to get the best out of you.

Sociopaths fake feelings while narcissists feel them

Another important difference between narcissists and sociopaths is related to their emotions, that is, the way they feel, and especially the way they show them to the rest of the world.

While a sociopath has complete control over his emotions and can fake them at any moment, this is something a narcissist is rarely able to do.

Instead, narcissists feel angry and angry when something doesn’t go their way and when their ego is hurt.

Sociopaths do not feel anything wholeheartedly and can fake any appropriate feelings to achieve their ultimate goal.

Their manipulation techniques are not the same

Both narcissists and sociopaths manipulate their victims into giving and doing what they want. However, they do so in completely different ways.

Narcissists manipulate their victims using narcissistic abuse tactics such as negative emotions, threats, anger, and arguments.

They have a habit of directly insulting and belittling their victims to destroy their confidence and self-image.

Narcissists will not hesitate to humiliate you in front of others and will do everything in their power to make you feel bad about yourself because they believe this is the only way for them to heal their broken ego.

On the other hand, sociopaths use positive emotions to get to you.

They play with you using compliments and don’t mind persuading you that you’re above them.

In the beginning, a sociopath will make you feel important, wanted, and loved which only makes it easier for them to crush your heart later on.