When 'Others' Become 'Us': The Inward Turn of Unempathetic Culture
How the erosion of compassion, once directed at 'outsiders,' now affects us all
A recent post about the layoffs within a federal agency truly resonated with me.
To see that kind of treatment – no notice, no severance, a complete disregard for an employee's contributions – being set as a 'standard' by the executive branch? It's not just concerning; it's heartbreaking.
It echoes a culture I've seen take root across the tech industry, and even in academic settings. While my path hasn't taken me directly into the heart of Silicon Valley's big tech, I've observed similar patterns through close friends and colleagues.
Having worked within the tech industry, I've also witnessed firsthand the pain caused by phrases like, 'We don't care about your feelings, and if you've got feelings, you're not a good engineer' used during project reviews. It's a culture that diminishes us all.
I've also observed a shift in priorities, where fundamental scientific research – the kind that benefits us all in the long run – seems to be taking a backseat to immediate gains. It's deeply troubling to see roles focused on that research disproportionately affected in recent layoffs.
And now, this unempathetic approach, already too prevalent in tech, is spreading to public service and other industries. It leaves us with a heavy question:
Do we, as a community, want this to be the new normal? How can we, together, safeguard the basic human dignity of our workplaces?
This, I believe, speaks to a profound empathy crisis gripping the nation. The gradual erosion of compassion, initially justified when directed toward 'others,'1 has now turned inward, and we are all feeling its sting.
This shift raises serious concerns about the very heart of our workplace culture and our society. It's crucial that we come together in open and honest dialogue about the importance of empathy and the value of every individual.
How can we, as a nation, rekindle empathy in our discourse and our interactions?
How can we create workplaces where compassion is not a weakness, but a strength?
A Note on 'Others'
In this post, I've used the term 'others' to describe a gradual shift in our collective empathy. While it certainly applies to the workplace and societal divisions, I also intended it to evoke a broader, more global context. 'Others' can represent those nations and peoples who are deemed 'different' or 'distant,' those who become targets of aggression and dehumanization.
The erosion of empathy I discuss isn't isolated; it's a phenomenon that manifests in how we treat those both near and far. If we allow our compassion to diminish in one area, it inevitably affects all others. This connection between workplace empathy and global compassion is crucial to understanding the true scope of the empathy crisis we face.