 Have you ever talked to a sociopath? According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, or DSM-5, sociopathy is a category of anti-social personality disorder. So a sociopath is someone with interior, social, and pathological impairments to their personality. A sociopath will say anything to get their way, even if that means bending the truth. Before we get started, remember that these phrases alone don't define a sociopath. Language is just a small piece of a larger puzzle. In other words, you may hear a friend or partner use phrases from this list, but that doesn't necessarily make him or her a sociopath. So here are nine things a sociopath might say and what those things really mean. 1. No one is ever going to love you the way I do. According to the DSM-5, a sociopath may tear others down for their own personal gain. They may use lines like this to gently chip away at your self-esteem. Over time, you may find yourself believing what they tell you, even if this person doesn't treat you as well as they should. 2. You're the most amazing person I've ever met. Compliments are another way that sociopaths control their friends and partners. Praise can be a great way to build closer bonds with people in your life, but sociopaths have another goal in mind. A sociopath may shower you with compliments just to keep you under their thumb. 3. Don't be so sensitive. The DSM-5 highlights how sociopaths avoid taking responsibility. Why? Because they want to preserve their own image. When a sociopath makes a mistake, they try to save face by passing the blame. Since sociopaths struggle with compassion, feelings are often their biggest target. Instead of empathizing with your concerns, they may attack your sensitivity and shame you for having emotions at all. 4. You'll never survive without me. Sociopaths use comments like these to prey on your fears and vulnerabilities. Maybe you're scared of feeling alone, or worried you'll never find love again. Sociopaths purposely attack your insecurities to keep you under their spell. They insist you don't deserve anything better, even if that couldn't be further from the truth. 5. You make me a better person. Sometimes, people do improve thanks to meaningful relationships. But sociopaths aren't interested in growth or change. Instead, they use phrases like this to build false hope. They say they're trying their best. They pretend they're making an effort to improve, but their actions usually tell a different story. 6. You're the only one who understands me. For a sociopath, close is never close enough. So they talk like this to create the illusion of intimacy. They make you feel like you have a much stronger bond than you actually do. That illusion convinces you to invest more of your time and effort into the relationship. But in the end, that just gives the sociopath more control. 7. You're so needy. Imagine your partner was supposed to meet you for dinner, but they show up over an hour late. How would this make you feel pretty angry, right? But instead of apologizing or explaining themselves, your partner says, I'm here, aren't I? What more do you need? In a 2019 study, Johnson explains that sociopaths are narcissistic. In other words, they prioritize their own personal gain and disregard the needs for others. They act like you're the one who's being needy, even though you're just asking for some accountability. 8. I don't have time for this. This is another phrase that a sociopath may use to save face. The moment they feel attacked, a sociopath may dismiss the entire situation, claiming it's not worth their time. They act like every second of their day is too valuable to waste. In reality, they're just looking for a way out. Watch out for excuses and non-apologetic statements. 9. You owe me. In the mind of a sociopath, relationships are like transactions. They'll do you a favor or give you a compliment, but they always expect something in return. A sociopath will rarely give out the goodness of their heart. So when a sociopath says, you owe me, it means they're ready to cash in on their investment. Do you know someone who uses these underhanded comments? Let us know about your experiences in the comment section below. Don't forget to click the like and subscribe button for more psychology content. And as always, thanks for watching.