--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many sociopaths use the shortcut of…" description: "\"“Many sociopaths use the shortcut of “anything goes,” or “I am only in it for me.” These sociopaths have decided that the rational way to increase thei..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe8/m-e-thomas-25269_life_many-sociopaths-use-the-shortcut-of-anyt_1585695.jpg" --- # Many sociopaths use the shortcut of “anything goes,” or “I… ![“Many sociopaths use the shortcut of “anything goes,” or “I am only in it for me.” These sociopaths have decided that the rational way to increase their own benefits in life is to look out only for themselves and ignore the needs or demands of others.” quote by M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe8/m-e-thomas-25269_life_many-sociopaths-use-the-shortcut-of-anyt_1585695.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe8/m-e-thomas-25269_life_many-sociopaths-use-the-shortcut-of-anyt_1585695.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe8/m-e-thomas-25269_life_many-sociopaths-use-the-shortcut-of-anyt_1585695.jpg) > ““Many sociopaths use the shortcut of “anything goes,” or “I am only in it for me.” These sociopaths have decided that the rational way to increase their own benefits in life is to look out only for themselves and ignore the needs or demands of others.”” [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sociopaths prioritize self-interest, dismissing others' needs as irrelevant. **In simple terms:** Selfishness overrides empathy. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy and accountability. Themes ethics psychology social behavior morality Mood reflective concerned Type psychological ethical When to use this quote - workplace - relationships - community leadership - policy making Key Concepts personality disorder moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate harmful self-centeredness? - How can societies encourage collective responsibility? A Different Perspective Not all selfish behavior is pathological. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Psychopath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychopath/) [Sociopaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sociopaths/) ## Related quotes > [“sociopaths are perfect for all the dirty work that no one else has the stomach for, such as firing and downsizing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/sociopaths-are-perfect-for-all-the-dirty-work-that-no-one-else-has/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“Dr. Robert Hare, one of the foremost researchers on sociopathy, believes that a sociopath is four times more likely to be at the top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/dr-robert-hare-one-of-the-foremost-researchers-on-sociopathy-believes/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“(Sociopaths are highly immune to depression, and this ability to tell ourselves wonderful stories about how attractive, smart, and wily we are, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/sociopaths-are-highly-immune-to-depression-and-this-ability-to-tell/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [I've never been a fan of sociopaths who have no conscience. That scares me because they're capable of anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-holden/i-ve-never-been-a-fan-of-sociopaths-who-have-no-conscience-that/) [Laurie Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-holden/) > [“And sociopaths are noted especially for their shallowness of emotion, the hollow and transient nature of any affectionate feelings they may claim to have,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/and-sociopaths-are-noted-especially-for-their-shallowness-of-emotion/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [“While I don't think sociopaths have any sort of moral urge to do good things, I think they can and do act morally in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas-2/while-i-don-t-think-sociopaths-have-any-sort-of-moral-urge-to-do-good/) [M. E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas-2/) > [You have psychopaths and sociopaths in charge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-celente/you-have-psychopaths-and-sociopaths-in-charge/) [Gerald Celente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-celente/) > [Sociopaths are just like everybody else in that some of them are really brilliant, some of them are really stupid, and most of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/sociopaths-are-just-like-everybody-else-in-that-some-of-them-are/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [“sociopaths are very crafty when it comes to pre-meditated crimes—they only take risks when the chances are high that they won’t get caught. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-rivers-clarence/sociopaths-are-very-crafty-when-it-comes-to-pre-meditated-crimes-they/) [T. Rivers, Clarence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-rivers-clarence/) > [“Unfortunately, sociopaths are antisocial by nature, and their lack of empathy and foresight consigns them to view society only as a restraint on individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/unfortunately-sociopaths-are-antisocial-by-nature-and-their-lack-of/) [Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/) > [“Sociopath” and “psycho” were two of the most common field diagnoses for my look and expression. I heard it all the time: “I’ve read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elder-robison/sociopath-and-psycho-were-two-of-the-most-common-field-diagnoses-for/) [John Elder Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elder-robison/) > [“Sociopaths, or what psychiatrists call antisocial personalities, have lifelong patterns of deceitfulness for personal gain. They lack remorse and empathy and are wizards at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-small/sociopaths-or-what-psychiatrists-call-antisocial-personalities-have/) Gary Small > [When you were a child, where boredom could actually get to be painful. Sociopaths experience that kind of pain in boredom. And so to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/when-you-were-a-child-where-boredom-could-actually-get-to-be-painful/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [“Prisons are full of sociopaths and psychopaths, but when questioned, the imprisoned sociopath will honestly admit that they will commit any number of crimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-thompson/prisons-are-full-of-sociopaths-and-psychopaths-but-when-questioned/) [Tanya Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya-thompson/) > [Usually sociopaths will look down upon us for that very reason - that we're gullible. We're weak. One person told me that he thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/usually-sociopaths-will-look-down-upon-us-for-that-very-reason-that/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) ## More by M.E. Thomas > [“People like to hear words like pleasure and decadent. They think of Roman orgies or chocolate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/people-like-to-hear-words-like-pleasure-and-decadent-they-think-of/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“It isn't enough that the bad guy is prevented from doing his bad deeds; he must suffer as much as possible. It is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/it-isn-t-enough-that-the-bad-guy-is-prevented-from-doing-his-bad/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“While my self-image was that of a pagan god, hers was of an avenging angel”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/while-my-self-image-was-that-of-a-pagan-god-hers-was-of-an-avenging/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“Ruining people. I love the way the phrase rolls around on my tongue and inside my mouth. Ruining people is delicious. We're all hungry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/ruining-people-i-love-the-way-the-phrase-rolls-around-on-my-tongue/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“I do not expect things to go right in the world. I don’t even believe in right. I believe that everything just is. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-do-not-expect-things-to-go-right-in-the-world-i-don-t-even-believe/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“Outwardly I was all confidence and openness; inwardly I was spiteful and lonely and unaware of how to relate to the world. I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/outwardly-i-was-all-confidence-and-openness-inwardly-i-was-spiteful/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“One nurse thought I was "brave." I think she was talking about my steely-eyed, grin-and-bear-it kind of attitude. There were no tears, no complaints…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/one-nurse-thought-i-was-brave-i-think-she-was-talking-about-my-steely/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“We lawyers are all prestige whores”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/we-lawyers-are-all-prestige-whores/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“I'm not unhappy, for the most part, although I do think there is a certain emptiness and meaningless that I feel, sort of like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-m-not-unhappy-for-the-most-part-although-i-do-think-there-is-a/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“It was too late, though: I was already too smart for the therapist. Or maybe I was never amenable to therapy. Either way, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/it-was-too-late-though-i-was-already-too-smart-for-the-therapist-or/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“(Sociopaths are highly immune to depression, and this ability to tell ourselves wonderful stories about how attractive, smart, and wily we are, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/sociopaths-are-highly-immune-to-depression-and-this-ability-to-tell/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“I often wish I could just passively watch people without being expected to participate myself, like television.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-often-wish-i-could-just-passively-watch-people-without-being/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“When you grow up as a girl, it is like there are faint chalk lines traced approximately three inches around your entire body at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/when-you-grow-up-as-a-girl-it-is-like-there-are-faint-chalk-lines/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“Asked to choose between having power and giving up power to a “trusted” entity, people often prefer to give it up rather than have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/asked-to-choose-between-having-power-and-giving-up-power-to-a-trusted/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“I believe that a lot of the sociopath’s traits such as charm, manipulation, lying, promiscuity, chameleonism, mask wearing, and lack of empathy are largely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-believe-that-a-lot-of-the-sociopath-s-traits-such-as-charm/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) [Explore all 23 M.E. Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Many sociopaths use the shortcut of “anything goes,” or “I am only in it for me.” These sociopaths have decided that the rational way to increase their own benefits in life is to look out only for themselves and ignore the needs or demands of others.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "M.E. 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