41 pages • 1-hour read
The Sociopath Next Door: The Ruthless Versus The Rest Of Us
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Medical Context: Antisocial Personality Disorder
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of mental illness and child abuse.
Since The Sociopath Next Door was published in 2005, there have been significant advancements in diagnosing, understanding, and treating ASPD. The term “sociopath” is no longer accepted or used in a clinical setting, with “antisocial personality disorder” being favored in its place. This is because there is heavy stigma associated with labels that encircle the entire person, and referring to it as a personality disorder more clearly implies that there is still a human behind the disorder. Current research focuses heavily on the genetic and neurological components of ASPD, with studies examining differences in brain function and structure, as well as family history, to determine the origins of ASPD. It is now known that people with ASPD have a differently functioning prefrontal cortex (which is responsible for executive functions like decision-making, problem-solving, impulse regulation, and empathy) and amygdala (which controls emotional processing and learning, social behavior, and stress regulation).
It is also now understood that ASPD is an adult disorder but can only be classified as such if the person exhibited conduct problems during childhood and adolescence. Environmental factors like abuse and neglect are also more widely known to be linked to ASPD. Previously, ASPD was mainly studied in men, but there is now a growing body of knowledge to support the existence of ASPD in women and the subtle differences in how this disorder manifests based on gender. ASPD has also been found to be linked with other personality disorders like narcissistic personality disorder and mental illnesses like depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy is now used in the treatment of ASPD to help people change their behavior and thought patterns and to instill moral reasoning, though it is still difficult to convince people with ASPD to seek treatment. This challenge is currently being researched and addressed.
Critical Context: Praise and Criticism of the Book
The Sociopath Next Door has received both praise and criticism since its release in 2005. The book was celebrated particularly for its ability to make a complex subject accessible to the general population, as well as to make a clinical subject like ASPD emotionally engaging and entertaining. Stout draws heavily on real-life modern and historical examples to back up her arguments, which makes the subject more comprehensible to those who may not be aware of more clinical terminology and examples. Stout was also praised for bringing awareness and greater understanding to a subject that was often cast in shadow and misconceptions. ASPD was commonly understood to be a disorder that, by default, led to violence and other forms of terror, but Stout’s work dispelled this myth by noting that ASPD is much more common than many people imagine and that just about anyone can have ASPD. The book also contains a wealth of practical advice and strategies for avoiding and protecting oneself from the consequences of ASPD, both in people’s personal and professional lives.
Stout’s work has also received criticism for several reasons, both at the time of the book’s release and today, after much more has been learned about ASPD. First, the book presents the disorder through the outdated term “sociopathy” and thus unintentionally reinforces stigma about the disorder. It also describes ASPD from a largely oversimplified lens, in which a person either has a conscience or does not and in which a person with ASPD is all but guaranteed to cause havoc in the lives of others. At the same time, the book heavily implies that there are those who do wrong (people with ASPD) and those who do right (people with a conscience) and that the two rarely intersect. In reality, the situation is much more complex, as people with ASPD are capable of ethical behavior, while those without ASPD are certainly capable of exploiting and harming others. The book also lacks in-depth psychological descriptions and discussions, relies on hyperbole and absolutes, and does not go into detail about the actual characteristics or diagnostic process of the disorder. Because Stout’s patients are those who have been traumatized by people with ASPD, not people with ASPD themselves, she writes from a biased perspective that lacks empathy for people with ASPD, thus dehumanizing them to some extent. Additional criticisms of the book include the accusation that Stout sensationalizes the issue of ASPD to appeal to readers. This appeal to emotion creates an engaging read at the expense of people with ASPD and those who fear them.
Unlock all 41 pages of this Study Guide
Get in-depth, chapter-by-chapter summaries and analysis from our literary experts.
- Grasp challenging concepts with clear, comprehensive explanations
- Revisit key plot points and ideas without rereading the book
- Share impressive insights in classes and book clubs