Oooooo... Yeah, that sounds pretty solid and undeniably vicious. No one likes to be outed.
Systematic stated: source post
Disclaimer: I think sociopath as a term encompasses and represents a wide spectrum of individuals
What's your criteria?
Flawed individuals that rely on(for the most part I'd imagine) subtle manipulation tactics to get things normal people gain through trust and as rewards for actually caring for someone. Bring that upfront, put them in the spotlight and illuminate what they're doing in a public setting could definitely have the potential to disrupt a lot.
A combination of prior social padding and making you out to look over dramatic or triggered for seemingly related reasons will make you out to look like the crazy one while they look calm and collected. If they can turn the spotlight on you, they're winning.
"Using someone's lies as leverage may be the oldest trick in the book but it's a classic for a reason. However, the victim may find a decent way to retaliate so I'd be extremely careful. How is one to know the victim isn't playing along just to lay a trap for you? It's like playing with fire."
Exactly. Like turncoat mentioned it could easily backfire on you if done wrongly
"What's your criteria?"
I tend to stick with the DSM or the denotative description
"A combination of prior social padding and making you out to look over dramatic or triggered for seemingly related reasons will make you out to look like the crazy one while they look calm and collected. If they can turn the spotlight on you, they're winning."
Definitely. The approach really depends on how sloppy the individual is. Watching, noting, observing and validating these slips with past behaviors is what's key. An outright accusation won't do much until you can tie these incidents together to them or the person they're manipulating. Of course the sociopath in this case could convincingly deny this too, which is why I prefer to jump on the person when I see a slip. Excuses made up on the spot typically have see-through holes in them.
This is of course all based off my experience with 2-3 individuals in which the goal wasn't exactly breaking them as it was liberating the person they were manipulating(which I'd imagine would be a step towards breaking them).
Manimal stated: source post
Probably your best bet Salt. As I think they will mirror you to your own destruction.
Elaborate on mirroring?
Systematic stated: source post
I'm sturdy on home turf while they slip on unfamiliar ground.
Keep them on their toes until they spin themselves up in a web of lies in an effort to defend themselves.
Very snake like. Befriend and betray. Using someone's lies as leverage may be the oldest trick in the book but it's a classic for a reason. However, the victim may find a decent way to retaliate so I'd be extremely careful. How is one to know the victim isn't playing along just to lay a trap for you? It's like playing with fire.
Systematic stated: source post
"What's your criteria?"
I tend to stick with the DSM or the denotative description
And those encompass a wide spectrum of individuals? Are you going by comorbidities, Theodore Millon's Subtypes (Nomadic, Malevolent, Covetous, Risk-Taking, Reputation-Defending, Unprincipled, Tyrannical), or your own thing? Is it that the bar's set lower for you for what constitutes expressions of the symptoms?
Of course the sociopath in this case could convincingly deny this too, which is why I prefer to jump on the person when I see a slip.
I prefer to let them feel comfortable so that they'll be more likely to continue slipping up. That allows a case to be built that can be used at the right time.
Excuses made up on the spot typically have see-through holes in them.
Letting them think the excuses worked has them set the bar lower too. They'll be more likely to make mistakes if they figure that you're gullible enough to follow it or apathetic enough about it to continuously let things slide.