Whichever persona they choose, one thing is certain: It’s not authentic. Psychopaths are shape-shifting chameleons who constantly rearrange their personalities depending on your individual needs. If you notice behavioral inconsistencies, find that other people in this person’s life describe them in entirely different terms, or even just sense insincerity in their behavior, honor and explore that feeling. In the workplace, they’ll manufacture these reactions in a calculated way, to turn others against you and diminish your credibility. In a relationship, they’ll use these reactions to garner sympathy from future potential mates. If you get the sense that someone is baiting you into an argument and then feigning surprise, it’s worth a second look. Don’t let your natural desire to reconcile the issue keep you from addressing the injustice you feel. Psychopaths know that their behavior hurts others. That’s why they do it. The only time a psychopath will ever apologize to you is to save face or if they still need something from you. It’s never actually about remorse. Anyone who enjoys inflicting pain on others or never seems to feel any genuine remorse for hurting others is someone to cut ties with, immediately. That’s an emotional black hole. Psychopaths want people distracted and in constant competition for their attention, so they seem in high demand at all times. If you find yourself disliking people you would previously have had no reason to form an opinion about (negative or otherwise), look more closely at the source of that emotion. It might be a sign of a psychopath in your orbit. Additionally, with a psychopath, you’re always the bad one. Even though they lie, cheat, manipulate, steal, and con—you’re the one with the problem. Psychopaths have this innate ability to make you feel like there’s something wrong with you for recognizing that there’s something off about them. If you’re having a lot of confusing thoughts and emotions like this, you may be dealing with a psychopath. Once you know the signs of a psychopath, you can begin to figure out how to remove them from your life. This might not be an easy task, especially if you’re dating a psychopath. But awareness is the first step of leaving your abusive relationship.
