system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How are sociopaths able to have such magnetic personalities and appear likable when they have no empathy?

Isn't empathy neccissary in order to relate/connect with someone? I've hear sociopaths are excellent at getting people to like them initially. The two seem to contradict eachother.
gpt
They can pick and choose which traits to demonstrate. A typical person has conflicting emotions that influence how they interact with people. The fact that typical people can't "choose" which traits to show at different times means that they often show negative traits to people. A sociopath is able to look at which traits are favorable to other people, and because they lack empathy or the ability to mirror the emotions of others, they can choose exactly how they portray themselves.