Anti-social and Asocial look like two words with the same meaning, however, these two words have two different meanings. Both these words show the main meaning be the lack of interaction with society.
An asocial person is the one who keeps to himself/herself while the anti-social is the one who doesn’t like other people.
Anti-Social vs Asocial
The difference between Anti-social and Asocial is that anti-social people don’t like other people while asocial people just like to be themselves, it’s not that they don’t like other people. Asocial people just don’t like to be around people all the time. They prefer to be alone rather than being in a social group.
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Anti-social people are the people who are against social interactions. These people can be harmful or annoying to other people. The behaviors of these people are extremely sharp and they can be manipulative as well.
Anti-social people show disregards for social gatherings and the customs of the society.
Asocial people are those who don’t like to be gathered around people. They prefer being alone. These people don’t like being a part of social activities. Asocial people are like introverts who like to be on their own most of the time.
They only enjoy the companies of their close ones. And they don’t have many people close to them, just a few.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Anti-social | Asocial |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A person who is against social customs. | A person who lacks the will to be in a social gathering. |
| Behavior | Anti-social people can get aggressive and frustrated very easily. | They are like introverts; just don’t want to be socially active. Shows no sign of being violent. |
| Impact on society | These people can be harmful to other people because of their behavior. | These people are not harmful at all. They are the silent type of people. |
| Causes | The cause can be a negative environment around them for their childhood or a mental disorder. | It’s just a personality trait. |
| Remedy | Talk Therapy, Cognitive-behavioral therapy. | Social Skills Training, Meta-cognitive interpersonal Therapy |
What is Anti-social?
Anti-social behavior within people can be the result of violence, abuse, negativity, and no proper guidance. Anti-social people lack basic human kindness and empathy.
Anti-social people don’t consider the well-being of other people. They don’t approve of the way society works. Anti-social people don’t lack the will to interact, they don’t entirely approve of the social norms. They need things to be done the way they want.
These people can be dangerous to other people. They are impulsive and aggressive people who can get angry at the smallest of arguments. They can violate the basic rights of other people and have persistence in their behavior.
They are negligent to the cooperative skills. And are frustrated most of the time. Mostly these people have a history of violence.
Mostly, people with anti-social behavior have antisocial personality disorder. They can be charming people but their behavior can change in a second of time.
They highly think of themselves to be right, they don’t like to hear other people’s opinions or perceptions. Indeed, they have poor bonds. They don’t have much emotional attachment to people.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy, Behavioural parent training, Psychotherapy, or Talk therapy are some of the treatments to overcome Anti-social behavior.
What is Asocial?
Asocial is a person who likes to stay in his/her own little world. A person who rather stay alone than go to a party. Asocial people don’t have violent or aggressive behavior. They just lack the will to be in a social gathering.
Asocial people like to get interacted with their close ones only. They form emotional bonds but they don’t like to interfere in other people’s life. They prefer their mental health and private life.
They are not party people. They like to go to the social gathering but in a limited way and for a limited amount of time. They mostly enjoy their time with themselves at home or at silent places they like.
Being asocial is not a negative trait, it’s just a personality trait. Indeed, it is seen as a desirable trait in religious ways of life in heritages like Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, etc.
Asocial people are not very explicit about their life. They don’t like to share things with everyone, they are the ones who keep things to themselves. They don’t like to be an active part of a gathering. They are the ones who listen. They cant get engaged in endless conversations.
Main Differences Between Anti-Social and Asocial
- Anti-social shows antagonism towards other people. They can be dangerous. Asocial people don’t show such behavior. They are not harmful at all.
- Anti-social people disregard social norms. While Asocial people have no problem with the social norms. They just like to stay in their own space.
- Being Anti-social can be because of a negative environment or bad influence. It can be a symptom of anti-social personality disorder. Being asocial is a personality trait, it’s not a negative trait.
- Anti-social people mostly cannot form emotional bonds, while asocial people have strong emotional bonds.
- Anti-social people show disregard for societal standards, they don’t mind being in a gathering while asocial people don’t show any regard towards anyone. They just mind their own business and like to interact less with people.
- https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1996-98939-004
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=F901DwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA337&dq=antisocial+and+asocial&ots=gQ1_8zJD9H&sig=_fMXQ8B67SoH1e4sflYzatx8UtQ
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
