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How to work out if someone you know is a psychopath or a sociopath?

Think psychopath and most of us will probably come up with fictional characters like Patrick Bateman, and famous serial killers like Ted Bundy or Jack the Ripper – maybe even Sherlock Holmes comes to mind, when we talk about sociopaths.

But psychologists say it’s actually a lot more complex than we might think, with these two antisocial personality disorders sharing a lot of the same traits.

The term sociopath, whilst often used to refer to someone who is acting in their own self-interest, manipulating others or lacking in empathy, isn’t actually recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a diagnosis in its own right.

Rather, sociopathic traits – like psychopathic ones – fall under the wider umbrella of dissocial personality disorder.

And while sociopathy and psychopathy do share a lot of characteristics, according to Justin Brown, an expert in psychological patterns, there are some important differences to be aware of.

‘People with psychopathy don’t feel much empathy or guilt,’ he explained.

‘They can be quite charming on the outside and fit in easily with other people, but on the inside, they have a hard difficulty making meaningful emotional connections.

‘Sociopaths, on the other hand, may have some idea of what is right and wrong, but they have difficulties controlling their impulses and generally have a history of disobeying laws or having trouble with authority.’

It is also not uncommon for sociopaths to act out more overtly. And with around one per cent of the UK’s population falling somewhere on the spectrum, it is important to know what tell-tale signs to look out for – with a high number of CEOs demonstrating this specific pattern of behaviour.

ut just because someone shows these traits, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a sociopath, but knowing what to look out for can help you to set firmer boundaries.

Experts also believe that these people can change, and if someone is willing to look inwards and recognise these sociopathic traits, they have the chance of making meaningful connections.

Here, we break down the typical tendencies of sociopaths to look out for…

They will be aware of your every move and will never say sorry… and mean it

For centuries we’ve had a strong cultural sense of what a sociopath is: someone who takes no issue with inflicting pain and will manipulate and deceive those around them for personal gain.

From Bret Easton Ellis’ Patrick Bateman to Brontë’s Heathcliff, most of us feel pretty confident throwing this term around – but until recently, science hasn’t been able to offer a true distinction.

But just because someone shows these traits, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a sociopath, but knowing what to look out for can help you to set firmer boundaries.

Experts also believe that these people can change, and if someone is willing to look inwards and recognise these sociopathic traits, they have the chance of making meaningful connections.

Here, we break down the typical tendencies of sociopaths to look out for…

They will be aware of your every move and will never say sorry… and mean it

For centuries we’ve had a strong cultural sense of what a sociopath is: someone who takes no issue with inflicting pain and will manipulate and deceive those around them for personal gain.

But now, brain scans show that sociopaths have different brain chemistry from the rest of the population.

‘Brain imaging studies show less activity in the circuits that generate fear and empathy,’ Dr Caitlyn McClure explains.

‘As a result, behaviour seems reward-focused, planned, and amazingly guilt-free.’

Therefore, it’s not unusual for sociopaths to engage in obsessive behaviour – which at times can culminate in aggression or violence when things don’t go their way.

And unfortunately, for many, this means their hunger for control and power trumps any interest for a deeper meaningful connection, leaving those around them feeling isolated and even gaslit at times.

Which is also why they find it very hard to apologise and actually mean it.

‘If you observe someone who always overlooks other people’s feelings, uses people to obtain what they want, or doesn’t seem to feel bad about what they’ve done, you should be careful,’ Brown warned.

‘Don’t get drawn in and set firm non-negotiable boundaries in your own mind. Focus on what you can control and decide how close you want to let someone like this into your life.’

No long-lasting relationships

While sociopaths have no problem charming a crowd, personal relationships tend to elude them.

This is mostly due to the fact that they struggle to understand and experience deeper more nuanced emotions like guilt, love and particularly, empathy.

And whilst their innate ability to mirror the positive attributes and behaviours of those around them may make it look like they have a lot of friends, when it comes to building more meaningful connections they often struggle.

As Dr McClure explains: ‘Instead of being absent, like psychopaths, attachment capacity is damaged in sociopaths, resulting in spontaneous outbursts that are motivated by frustration.’

This relates in part to how their brains are wired, meaning their capacity for emotional depth is usually somewhat limited, and can make them very unpredictable.

Claire Law, a psychotherapist and legal contributor at Custody X Change, added: ‘Sociopaths can be warm one moment and angry the next.

‘Their reactions are emotional, and they often act before considering what might happen after. This impulsivity makes their relationships more chaotic and unstable.’

They live life on the edge – and will always work their charm for their own advantage

Unlike psychopaths, who tend to be colder and more removed from social circles, sociopaths can be charming and tend to live very successful lives.

This is because they have a ‘naturally low anxiety temperament’, Dr McClure says, meaning that they are biologically predisposed to remain calm under pressure.

So while they may present themselves as an attractive friends, colleague or partner who has your best interest at heart, behind the scenes they are master manipulators.

As Sumeet Grover, a registered psychotherapist, explains: ‘Pulling you into their world gives them power and a sense of grandiosity. And it deflects what is really going on for them internally.

‘Their sense of self is fragmented and so they don’t feel in the same way as most people. They can be very charming, believable and relatable, while often lacking in a felt sense of empathy or remorse,’ he told The Telegraph.

Studies have even shown that in stressful situations, when most people’s heart rate would increase, a sociopath’s will remain the same, or even go down.

This means that they often underestimate risk and experience a delayed response to fear – and big emotions are often the only way they can feel.

Experts have theorised that because sociopaths cannot experience emotion in the same way as people without the personality disorder, they are driven to destruction by a subconscious desire to feel something.

As Patric Gagne, a clinical psychologist and self-proclaimed ’21st century sociopath’, writes in her book, Sociopath: ‘I was starting to understand why doing bad things made me feel…

‘However brief, it connected me to the way I imagined everyone else felt all the time… And we weren’t ‘bad’ or ‘evil’ or ‘crazy’, we just had a harder time with feelings. We acted out to fill a void.’

Daily Mail

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Naomi Watts urges women to own menopause

Oscar-nominated actress Naomi Watts has continued to have fame on the screen into her 50s, but she is building more of her life story around navigating deeply personal and often unspoken health and aging issues.She has become increasingly open about topics many public figures, and Hollywood actresses in particular, avoid, using her platform to normalize conversations regarding fertility, aging, and physical changes, with the goal of helping women feel confident in their body no matter their age.

“I am trying to put forward the messaging that we can be okay with how we look,” Watts told CNBC’s Julia Boorstin at the CNBC Changemakers Summit in New York City on Thursday. “It’s okay to be 57 and look 57.”

Watts launched Stripes Beauty in 2022, a company focused on helping women navigate the challenges associated with perimenopause and menopause, while aiming to address everything from skin to hair changes to overall wellness.

Menopause was considered very taboo to talk about in many cultures mainly because of the age-fertility link and generational gatekeeping. In many societies a woman’s “value” was tied to her youth and ability to bear children. Talking about menopause meant admitting those stages were over. Many women in different generations were taught to silence it and view it as a private burden and not share it.

At the Changemakers Summit, Watts said searched for reasons to help explain why no one talked about it, and even used an anonymous Instagram to search for clues. “Why isn’t there any information? Why is it so hard? Why is it so taboo when we are half the population?” she said. “It is just biology.”

Founder and chief creative officer at Stripes Beauty, Watts was featured on the 2025 CNBC Changemakers list.

Menopause typically occurs around ages 45 to 55 and gets diagnosed after a woman does not get her period for 12 months. According to information from Midi Health, whose CEO Joanna Strober was also named to the 2025 CNBC Changemakers list, 6,000 women hit menopause every day in the U.S., which equates to 1.3 million women annually, while four in five midlife women experience symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes.

Watts experienced early menopause in her mid-30s. She faced the common symptoms like night flashes and hot flashes. Watts has said in the past that she felt as if “I didn’t have control over my own body.”

Stripes Beauty has expanded into major retailers like Ulta Beauty and Sephora, with the once niche, uncomfortable category now becoming a mainstream part of women’s consumer health and beauty. The company was acquired in a deal between Watts and private investment firm L Catterton, which is backed by Louis Vuitton parent company LVMH, in 2024. It launched “National Hot Flash Day,” celebrated Sept. 9, to reinforce the message that the menopause journey is a completely natural and shared experience.

Watts says women should make “a bet on themselves” no matter what society is telling, or not telling, them.

“After 50, I have felt so much better about knowing who I am, so much more comfortable in my skin,” she said. “Stay connected to women. Women are everything. I am nothing without the community of women I have around me.”

Watts said in the past, when people came up to her in public, she often worried that requests to take selfies would follow, and she couldn’t help but think about being pictured without makeup on. But she says her menopause advocacy in recent years has changed many of these public interactions. “They’re coming up to me with tears in their eyes sometimes, or just wanting to say thank you for giving me the permission, or the dialogue, so I could speak with my husband or partner or family members and not have shame about it. … that gives me great joy. It’s so heartening to know the risk I took had a meaningful effect on others.”

CNBC

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Dubai gold rises for a third day after its worst month since 2008.

Dubai gold prices moved higher early Wednesday, extending a short-term rebound after a sharp correction through March that unsettled buyers and traders alike.

At 8:22 am, 24K gold stood at Dh566.75, up from Dh563.25 a day earlier, while 22K rose to Dh525 from Dh521.50. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and India.)

The uptick follows a volatile month where prices dropped nearly 12%, marking the steepest monthly decline since October 2008. That slide has reset expectations across the market, with buyers returning in phases rather than rushing in.

Peak to pullback

Gold had surged to levels above $4,700 an ounce in recent sessions, recovering from a broad sell-off triggered by rising US Treasury yields and a stronger dollar.

The shift in direction reflects a wider change in market positioning. Investors who once turned to gold for protection during geopolitical stress instead moved toward yield-bearing assets, particularly as expectations of interest rate cuts faded.

Ahmad Assiri, Research Strategist at Pepperstone, said gold’s behaviour through March marked a clear break from its traditional role.

“Gold’s failure to serve as a safe haven throughout March highlights a dramatic shift in the global macro landscape,” he said.

He added that rising yields and a stronger dollar “forced a painful downside repricing of the yellow metal,” with investors moving away from expectations of monetary easing and pricing in tighter conditions.

War outlook shifts sentiment

Recent gains have been supported by signs that tensions in the Middle East may ease, with market attention shifting from immediate conflict risks to longer-term economic implications.

Comments from US President Donald Trump suggesting a potential resolution within weeks have lifted equities and softened the dollar, creating space for gold to stabilise.

Bond traders have also reduced bets on aggressive rate hikes, focusing instead on growth risks tied to the conflict. That recalibration has helped bullion regain some ground, though conviction remains limited.

Buyers weigh timing

Despite the rebound, the broader trend still reflects caution. Prices remain well below mid-March peaks, when 24K gold crossed Dh600, highlighting the scale of the recent correction.

Assiri pointed to deeper structural shifts shaping demand.

“The market chose the yield of the dollar and the volatility of oil over the safety of gold,” he said, noting that capital moved toward assets offering stronger returns during the height of uncertainty.

That dynamic is likely to keep buyers selective in the near term. Jewellery shoppers and investors in the UAE are watching for clearer signals on rates and geopolitical stability before committing in size.

Outlook steadies, but not settled

Some global banks continue to maintain a constructive view on gold over the longer term, citing central bank demand and the possibility of rate cuts later this year.

Still, the near-term outlook remains tied to macro signals. Movements in yields, the dollar and energy markets are now playing a more decisive role than geopolitical headlines alone.

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China Suppliers Warn US Prices to Rise Over Hormuz Closure

Pickleball paddle producer Devi Wei has a message for U.S. shoppers.

“Americans will have to pay more,” the Chinese businessman told CNBC at a Beijing trade show last week at the China International Exhibition Center.

Because of the recent swings in oil prices resulting from the Iran war and closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Wei, who founded his own exporting business, Huijin Trade, has had to hike prices on his paddles and pickleballs by as much as 20%, he said.

Wei’s goods are made with polypropylene, a plastic material derived from oil and made in the Middle East, a dominant producer in the global industry. The war in Iran has stalled shipments of oil and its products through the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns among Chinese manufacturers at the trade fair about further disruption across the global supply chain.

“I might have to go even higher,” Wei said. “Maybe double if the Iran war doesn’t stop soon.”

Surging oil prices are filtering into prices of all kinds of products that rely on the commodity for manufacturing.

James Li, who makes scarves and said he sells a third of his inventory to the U.S., has marked up his polyester products by 5%.

“This scarf is 30% polyester,” Li told CNBC from his trade show booth. “We will definitely pass on the extra cost to our customers.”

Wang Mingming, a general manager of toy manufacturer Jinming Gifts, said he is hoarding two months’ worth of the plastic polymer PVC, but isn’t sure he can hold off charging more for his figurines.

“In our industry, these materials are almost irreplaceable,” Wang said. “If oil prices rise any further, we really won’t be able to manage.”

Cameron Johnson, senior partner at Shanghai-based supply chain consultancy Tidalwave Solutions, said he foresees competition for oil-related products among entire sectors if the crisis at the Strait of Hormuz isn’t resolved soon. A prolonged impasse in the critical waterway also raises the possibility of product shortages.

“If this goes on into May, everyone will be in big trouble and there will be triage between industries,” Johnson said, predicting autos and the medical field would be granted higher priority. “There is no visibility when new supply will come.”

Perhaps the biggest worry among China’s manufacturers is what costlier oil will mean for discretionary spending by consumers worldwide.

More money for gas means less for Wei’s pickleballs.

“Ordinary people are getting squeezed the most from the high oil price,” he said. “Their spending power just isn’t what it used to be.

CNBC