ELI5: How are psycopaths' and sociopaths' minds different from those of ordinary people?

I like to think of it this way. Our brains have three different parts, from different points in our evolutionary history: lizard brain, mammal brain and primate brain.

The lizard brain knows the most basic survival instincts: eat, breed, sleep, fight and flight. Keep yourself alive.

The mammal brain is a little more evolved. It knows how to take care of your immediate family since this is the point that we started raising our babies. This is when maternal and nurturing behavior took off.

The primate brain is the point that we started living in tribes. You have to understand how your actions effect your peers, because getting along with the group is necessary for the greater good. It's more invested in keeping the peace with individuals outside of the immediate family.

The definition of sociopaths and psychopaths is very hard for to agree on, and that's why those terms are falling out of practice. The labels are inherently misleading, because the human brain is very nuanced and every individual is different. The theory is that sociopaths either can't or don't see the value in social interactions that don't directly impact them. They are more mammal brain oriented.

Psychopaths are supposedly more individual focused and lizard brain oriented. They would see the world from the perspective of survival of self.

For the record, I don't agree with the idea that people are that simple. It also makes all psychopaths out to be opportunistic predators, which is unfair. The human brain is still a great mystery we're struggling to understand, and people who have pathologies of the mind are no different than people who are suffering from illness of the body. They need our assistance and understanding.

/r/explainlikeimfive Thread