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have to "keep their secrets" or otherwise condone their behavior. Ignoring or keeping such behavior "Just between us" is again, not an option.

12. Defend your psyche. Do not believe that ALL humans are as selfish as the sociopath you have encountered. They may even attempt to convince you that "humanity is just a destructive virus" or "all human beings are basically greedy, self-centered and worthless." 4% of our population may have no conscience, but the other 96% DO.

13. Living well is the best revenge. According to the accumulated evidence, sociopathy is ultimately... a self-destructive condition whether it ends with a whimper or the proverbial bang. It may at times seem a small comfort, but in the end we are better off staying within our own code of ethics, following our blessed conscience, and simply continuing with our lives perhaps a bit wiser.

Being aware and informed makes us "fore-warned and fore-armed", and in most cases we will be able to cut the sociopaths taht we encounter out of our lives. As with most things in life though, these simple rules are easier said than done. It is difficult to not respond in kind when we meet with antagonism or verbal abuse, for example. It is vitually automatic for most people to trust those in authority, and No One questions their own perceptions like a truly good person... the most glaring evidence of possesion of a conscience.

Rule # 1 may actually be the most difficult of all the rules in dealing with a sociopath. Officials can be voted out or dismissed from office. Bosses and co-workers can be endured or a new job found. Even those we believed to be good friends can be cast out of our lives, mourned for the people we believed them to be, and eventually forgotten. But what do we do if the sociopath is our spouse, a family member, beloved of someone close to us, or worst of all... our own child? Accepting Truth can be a bitter pill indeed.

It's not all bad news though. Those of us with a normal sense of conscience will, quite literally, be happier than any sociopath, no matter their position, could ever be. We know love, joy, pride in the accomplishments of our selves and others, and a myriad of other wonderful emotions that make our lives like the colorful masterwork of a great artist. While our societal waters are indeed prowled by cold-blooded predators and our own consciences will act as blood in the water, Dr. Stout reassures us. There are those who will appear unexpectedly, like the clever dolphin, to cheer us on or even lift us above the drowning waves. There are those exceptional few with an Over-developed sense of conscience to set us all a shining example. Those who make it their business to uphold the rights of the weak, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless... the Ghandi's and Mother Theresa's of the world will always inspire people of conscience.

Don't take any of this at my word, however, after all you hardly know me. Read "The Sociopath Next Door", weigh the evidence, research on your own if you like, listen to your instincts and decide for yourself. Who is the sociopath in Your life?

Learn more about this author, Quinn Blackburn.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

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