Because our culture has spent the past 250 years attempting to minimize the value of empathy.

That’s something that always drives me crazy about the “value of the atomic family” schtick in some conservative circles. On the one hand, they want a return to the atomic family. On the other, they’re still full steam ahead on individualism and keeping empathy out of decision processes.

Meanwhile, other family-based cultures are messy, more “molecular family” than the “traditional” atomic family, because the culture is based on empathy and shame/honor. Without empathy, leadership always dehumanizes the ones it is supposed to serve.