That's probably kind of the closest to the conclusion I have came up with, I have read on a number of sources for those that argue sociopaths and psychopaths are different that one is almost (sociopath) nurtured hence the socio more sociology or made by human interaction to be like it, I think that his sociopathic tendencies or if he's APD I think it's because of abandonment issues, it's hard to explain via text but just through my interaction with him it's just something that is probably I don't know just I feel something more than simply shutting down it's almost like it's hard to explain but trying to think how to explain it ha but it's almost like he just really doesn't care anymore beyond himself and a select few, he doesn't particularly care about taking risks and some of them you would swear if it was someone less intelligent then they'd be just branded an idiot, I kind of think that whatever he has gone through in his childhood (I don't know the full story but from bits I've been told it sounds traumatic enough) I think that has basically moulded him into what he is and I think that is either someone who has either basically killed their ability to feel empathy or care for others and virtually became someone with extreme sociopathic tendencies, I basically think his childhood turned him sociopathic because I do believe nurture is just as strong as nature in affecting personality, mentality and psychology, so your point I think ties into it but I kind of think from what I've seen with him I just don't see him changing it's not really just that he's shut himself off I think he has just destroyed any notion of what normal people feel or his experiences as a young kid caused him to become like that. I suppose basically for all I've seen of him he hasn't changed very much, he hasn't became anymore caring although he can act like he is I kind of just think whatever he is, he is and really there is no turning back, I think that his experiences have basically caused him to turn into what he is, if any of that makes sense. I don't disagree with what your saying at all I think it's rather valid but I kind of think it's more I suppose extreme, I think whatever he was taught or learned as a kid has basically become his nature now, I think the cold and unempathetic and remorseless (borderline remorseless) person he is I think he will be because I know he's been to counseling and from what I can tell he's simply used the counseling to appear more normal but I still see him as not emotionless but more selfishly emotional doesn't concern him he has little care although he acts as if he does. I think the abandonment and verbal abuse (physical maybe I don't know, I know his father was rather verbally abusive I don't know physically or not but it wouldn't surprise me) I think it's turned him to be what he is and unfortunately I don't really see him turning back from what he is whether that's a I don't know APD or sociopath or psychopath or whatever label even as a good friend of his for all the time I've known him he hasn't changed no matter and I kind of I wouldn't say lost hope but I just can't see him being anything different (genuinely) he could fake it of course but I don't see him genuinely changing, when I actually kind of i suppose I brought up with him about a month ago kind of psychopaths, sociopaths I didn't claim him to be one but I mentioned how they felt empathy at times studies have shown and all that and that they might be able to change in the future and his reply was pretty clear cut "why would they want to change?" and that kind of basically confirmed to me I thought that no matter what he is I don't see him changing whether he could or not I don't think he would anyway.