A Dangerous Lack of Empathy Prevails

Remember Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs? You can see a simplified version of it above. It basically says that before humans pursue higher order needs (i.e. the top of the pyramid), they first focus on basic needs like food and safety.

In other words, if you're struggling not to be eaten by a bear, you won't be inclined to ponder your true purpose on Earth.

This week's election results reminded me that you can't talk trade policy with a couple that is scared they won't be able to feed and clothe their kids.

Think back to any of the three Presidential debates: in retrospect, nearly all the topics were irrelevant to people near the bottom of this ladder, and almost half of all Americans may be close to that position. People want to provide for their basic needs, not debate whether Policy A is better than Policy B.

Thus, this week offers a powerful career and life lesson: if you lack empathy, you're going to struggle.

It takes empathy to recognize where a person is on this ladder and to then address the type of needs they are focused on. Too often, many of us focus on our needs and minimize or ignore the needs of the person to whom we are speaking.

For example, people at the middle or near the top of this ladder often get so caught up in their principles and aspirations that they completely ignore the suffering of others. I don't mean politically correct "others" such as a favorite charity; I mean families in Michigan in which both parents are working and yet their real income keeps declining.

The most shocking thing about this week is the degree to which we all seem to live in a bubble. Lots of Trump voters don't know anyone who voted for Clinton, and vice-versa.

Can you imagine how many bubbles exist when you consider that the readers of this article include people in dozens of countries? If you want to know the last time I was in Sweden or Thailand, for example, the answer is: never. I know almost nothing about your cultures, and that saddens me for it is the result of my own failings.

Bubbles prevent empathy. They make us deaf, dumb, and blind. They also make people outside the bubble - who are frustrated, or curious, or angry - pound harder and harder until the bubble shatters.

If you think this is just a political problem, you are mistaken. Bubbles exist within companies, within divisions, and even within factions within a group. Executives talk to executives. Marketers shake their heads at technical geeks, and so on.

Empathy is not a "nice to have". It is an absolutely vital quality. Managing your career without it is like driving a car without windshield wipers.

That said, it is insanely easy to lose your sense of empathy. I bet that some people will prove this when they comment on this article.

You are not immune to this weakness, and neither am I. Whether you live in Paris, Mumbai, Helena, or Key West, work harder to understand what other people are going through. Work a LOT harder.

Bruce Kasanoff is a ghostwriter for entrepreneurs, executives, and social innovators. He is the author of NEVER TELL PEOPLE WHAT YOU DO: How To Advance Your Career.