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you and your "so-called" symptoms. Quite likely, all of these are sociopaths that will never commit highly publicized murders or even serve time. Typically, sociopaths are chameleonic, charming, intelligent and attracted to positions of power or authority. They will climb the social ladder as high as their own desire, abilities, and opportunity will allow. All sociopaths have a desire to "win", but their definitions of "winning", their personal goals, can be as vastly different as the symptoms of sociopathy itself.

So, how do we recognize the Remorseless? Merriam Webster's definition of sociopathic isn't much help..."of, relating to, or characterized by asocial or antisocial behavior or exhibiting antisocial personality disorder." is rather vague really. And the definition of "psychopath" (which is the more controversial word for a sociopath)"a mentally ill or unstable person; especially : a person affected with antisocial personality disorder" is not much better. Wikipedia's "a psychiatric diagnosis in theDSM-IV-TR recognizable by the disordered individual's impulsive behavior, disregard for social norms, and indifference to the rights and feelings of others." is much better. Most simply put, a sociopath is any individual who, for whatever reason, is permanently lacking a conscience. "When deciding whom to trust," Dr. Stout advises, "bear in mind that the combination of consistently bad or egregiously inadequate behavior with frequent plays for your pity is as close to a warning mark on a conscienceless person's forehead as you will ever be given."

While still a graduate student, Stout once had the opportunity to interview a confirmed sociopath. "What is important to you in your life?" She asked, "What do you want more than anything else?" "Oh, that's easy." Came the reply, "What I like better than anything else is when people feel sorry for me." "I was astonished, and more than a little put off." Stout's words echoed my own feelings, "I think I would have liked him better if he had said, "staying out of jail" or even "getting money." That's right folks, pity. Appeals to our conscience, direct or indirect, are the number one tool of the remorseless.

Fear not! This book will not only discuss the ins and outs of sociopath, it's possible causes and effects, and teach you how to recognize them, it gives us 13 rules for dealing with the sociopaths we have or will have in our everyday lives as well. Boiled down these are:

1. Accept the bitter truth that there are people

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