People in power appear to be lacking in empathy
Empathy — the capacity to “feel with” another person, to comprehend and identify with her or his emotions and situation. Too often, its absence leads to indifference toward suffering in others and, sometimes, to outright cruelty. And while there have always been coldhearted humans, insufficient empathy often occurs by happenstance rather than design.
A dearth of empathy can undermine personal relationships, mess with family bonds, divide communities and even misinform public policies toward the struggling and downtrodden.
Empathy exists along a continuum, from people who feel deeply for others (called “empaths”) to those incapable of walking the proverbial mile in someone else’s shoes. So, what determines where one lands on this spectrum?
Theories abound, focusing on such areas as heredity, temperament, neurology and life experiences. Of course, parenting plays a major role, at least for most of us. When children engage in hurtful behavior toward others, if their parents point out the emotional impact of their actions on the affected people, empathy is more likely to stick.
Nonetheless, some kids remain indifferent to suffering in others, regardless of how much their caregivers point out the damage from their insensitivity. Why parental efforts sometimes fail leaves child development types scratching their heads.
Neurological explanations center around “mirror neurons,” a network in the brain associated with empathy. Disruptions in this network, the theory goes, may render the individual incapable of feeling other people’s pain.
Many folks harbor a dormant sense of empathy that requires certain life experiences before awakening. A classic example was President Franklin Roosevelt, a blueblood with money and power who, until he contracted polio, sailed above the suffering of others.
His own affliction, combined with long drives in the countryside where poverty was widespread, activated a compelling sense of empathy for the less fortunate.
As I ponder our political leaders, I worry that many are too out of touch with the governed to truly feel for the people they purport to serve. This does not make them nasty people so much as disengaged ones.
Might those in power be less strident about curtailing the social safety net if they had more day-in-the-life experiences with individuals who, through no fault of their own, rely on our collective support just to survive?
Unless suffering becomes real in their own lives, those in power can easily overlook it in favor of ideological purity and self-interest.
Research shows most Americans care about the less fortunate and give generously to those in need.
Increasingly, our leaders seem disinclined to help us fulfill that mission — to feed the hungry, care for the sick and comfort those wounded by life.
Philip Chard is a psychotherapist, author and trainer. Email Chard at outofmymind@philipchard.com or visit philipchard.com.