BY STANLEY C LOEWEN
In the BBC series Sherlock Holmes, Holmes pronounces to Watson that he is a ‘I’m not a psychopath, I’m a high functioning sociopath, do your research’, and this fascinating self assessment is one that gets many viewers questioning what precisely a sociopath is.

Sherlock’s proclaiming himself a sociopath makes the term seem almost romantic and interesting rather than immediately disturbing when usually we would think of the traits of a sociopath as belonging to a villain, not a protagonist. Here we will look at what the term sociopath entails, whether it is indeed distinct from psychopathy, and whether Holmes was right to diagnose himself as one.

Qualities of a Sociopath
Someone who is described as a sociopath will have several traits that set them apart from those with no personality disorders. These traits include the following…

• Lack of empathy – Inability to feel sympathy for…