^ What also casts us in a bad light is the number of sociopaths who are misdiagnosed as aspies. I posted a recent newspaper article about Martin Bryant (massacred 35 people using assault rifles in Port Arthur, Tasmania) as an example of this. Sometimes, perhaps, seeking an aspergers diagnosis is wishful thinking on the part of people who care about the sociopath.

As Catucciola says, aspies do not lack the capacity for compassion and sympathy. Perhaps we don't always act on it appropriately, but the capacity is there, and often in copious amounts.

What I have noticed from reading some of the posts on sociopathworld is that sociopaths refer to NTs as "empaths" - and it seems to be a term of derision the way some use it, as if they view it as a weakness to share the feelings of others and to actually care what they feel.

I've also noticed that sociopaths are aware that most aspies despise them, despite the parallels, moreso than empaths do. I mentioned this to my aspie brother and he said that perhaps aspies are more immune to a sociopath's charm and manipulation than neurotypicals are. More inclined to be analytical, more inclined to judge people by their actions than by their words, more inclined to be wary of someone who tries to sell themselves as a trustworthy friend before you even get a chance to know them. I think he has a point.