We all are facing the biggest pandemic of this century, and a lot of people have died because of it. But small steps like social distancing, washing hands and more importantly wearing facemasks, can help us prevent the COVID 19. But some people refuse to follow precautions, and not wearing a mask at public places is dangerous to both, the individual and the surroundings. Thus, this kind behaviour is criticized by numerous people, and now, the people who refuse to wear face masks are liable to be “sociopaths”, recent research has explained.

A sociopath is often a person who has Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), and people with this disorder don't understand other's perceptions. This unique research was conducted by Professor Fabiano Koich Miguel and his colleagues at Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Brazil.

They found that the people who ignore the COVID 19 safety standards, display greater phases of dishonesty and unnecessary risk-taking, which is associated with characteristics of sociopaths. People who refuse to wear face masks and other safety regulations are considered to be sociopaths according to this research.

The research was conducted under an analysis of around 1,578 Brazilian adults who were questioned about their obedience with Covid-19 safety standards. The participants were divided into two categories, the ‘empathy group’, comprising of around 1,200 people and the remaining 400 people in the ‘antisocial group’. The empathy group exhibited awareness for the safety standards and created encouraging social interactions, and the antisocial group showed the opposite. They had an absence of interest in supporting to reduce the increasing number of cases. Moreover, they are likely to look only for the ways which can personally benefit them, even if they are being socially detached. The entire group was held as very less obedient, and less inclined to use face masks. Similar kinds of studies were conducted in Poland, explaining that, people with narcissistic personality and psychopathic qualities are more inclined to ignore COVID 19 measures.

However, they are not claiming that if an individual is not wearing a facemask, the only justification is that they are a sociopath. Even if this is possible, there are also some exceptions to this. Some individuals do not wear masks for distinct health conditions and disabilities. But in the end, it is extremely significant for all of us, to follow these simple safety standards, if we want to go back to our normal lives.

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(Source - www.thetimes.co.uk /www.dailymail.co.uk / www.healthline.com)