Sociopath, in popular culture, is usually defined as a mega villain who acts outrageously cruel and manipulative. In real life, however, sociopaths are a little harder to identify. "Sociopaths in real life often look charming and can be quite liked as a manipulative tactic, explains Erin Rayburn, LMFT, founder of Evergreen Therapy in Tennessee to Men's Health. and charming on the one hand, but deep down, they are deceptive, exploitive and aggressive. There are symptoms that manifest in sociopaths. Individuals who exude these behaviours actually might have antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), which is a mental health condition where someone continuously manipulates, exploits, or violates the rights of others without remorse, according to MedlinePlus. American Psychiatric Association estimates that up to 3.6 percent population has ASPD. Who Is A Sociopath?Antisocial personality disorder is often called sociopathy. People who are diagnosed with this disorder, often show conduct disorder before the age of 15 years. They express symptoms like aggression, cruelty to people or animals, lying, property destruction or violating rules. While researchers are still figuring out the causes of the disorder, but experts theorize that genetics or factors like child abuse may contribute to its development. Still, people can display antisocial—or sociopathic—behaviours without necessarily meeting the criteria of a personality disorder. "Human beings are complex and can fall somewhere on a spectrum of sociopathic behaviour, at times manipulating others for personal gain, demonstrating aggression, or lying, but perhaps only doing these behaviours in a specific context or certain relationships,” Kennedy explains. For instance, an executive might lie, manipulate, or behave aggressively to land a high-stakes deal, but at home is a loyal, responsible partner and parent," Rayburn said.