Empathy and Lies in the Conception of Societal Leadership (The Roots of Democracy)

People lie—it happens all the time, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally. There are small, socially acceptable lies meant to spare feelings or keep interactions running smoothly. For example, when someone asks, “Does this shirt make me look chubby?” a wise response balances honesty with kindness: “I think the blue one over there looks much better on you.” These small social fictions help everyday relationships function.

Then there are serious lies—those intended to harm. There are lies of belief as well, when people publicly profess values they neither uphold nor truly believe. These are the most dangerous, because they slowly dissolve trust. Such lies are often rooted in ideology, self-interest, entitlement, social exclusion, corruption or extremism. These are precisely the lies we have a moral obligation to challenge and correct.

Representing a person
in ancient societies that
formed the root
of democracy. They share
characteristics. There are many
places where democracy was
created. 
Ancient Democracies

"Man perfected by society is
the best of all animals; he is the
most terrible of all when
 he lives without law,
and without justice".  Aristotle

As a side point, what makes
philosophers valuable is their
exploration of the world and life
and how their insight sometimes
brings forward deep
fundamental truths. 
This is also why they
don't often historically last long. 😬

This brings us back to hypothetical, philosophical, theoretical, learning thought experiment entitled The Story of the Clan. In this thought experiment, society faced a near collapse of justice as a corrupt group of actors used a clan-supporting court to harm people they disagree with, can gain off, minorities, victims, political opponents, religious practice, children, and those they label as “outsiders.” These actors feel entitled to the system’s outcomes—even above those whose families have lived in these communities for generations, in some cases long before modern nations were formed.

Clan courts do not feel a moral obligation to correct wrongdoing or undo the harm they cause. They are shaped by insular social networks and misguided beliefs about who the system exists to serve. Over time, even those who are not directly mistreated begin to recognize the distortion—how wrongdoing is clearly identified, documented, and then ignored. This failure creates more victims and leaves many people with little to no protection. Trust declines.

Yet The Story of the Clan also contains a silver lining. It reveals that there are core values most people share and believe will be upheld by those who understand what is essential and important.  They stood for it, challenged wrongdoing and change the direction of developoment. Good people who know why they are in the roles they have been entrusted with (The sacred oaths of position and power.).  Any decision that violates these sacrosanct principles is unjust at its core and should not be accepted or normalized in a society that seeks to pass foundational values from one generation to the next. Clan courts disregard these ideals, prioritizing loyalty to one another over justice and accountability.

History shows us that, time and again, wrongdoing is sometimes known, concealed, and only revealed years later—often with horrific consequences. Had those involved paused to ask themselves, “How would I feel if the shoes were on the other foot?" Giving a temporary pause to hueristic thinking and robo reactions. However, with corruption, hate and narcissims empathy and deeper moral conscious are not often part of their decision making process and this is why it is so dangerous to be neglectful of the inner qualities of candidates and leaders.

Empathy is central to leadership. While leading others is possible without empathy the outcomes will always be warped in some way. So we can say that empathy is central to long-term outcomes and the capacity to bring out the best in society, self, and others. Without a belief in shared values and the responsibility to honor certain oaths, a person is not qualified to hold authority. We place individuals in positions of power so they can fulfill social contracts—not to serve friends, clans, ideologies, corrupt networks, parties, isms (foreign or domestic), or personal gain, but to act in the best interests of everyone.

The next time you cast a vote or support a candidate (these are the underpinnings of any healthy democracy)—whether for office, a committee, or the judiciary—think deeply about how that person strengthens or weakens the system and the society that built those systems. Elevating those with serious moral deficiencies simply because they are connected doesn't really make sense when considering full societal development. People should choose leaders based on merit, competence, and integrity, and remove those who engage in misconduct and lack the empathy to connect with the deeper needs of society (If you can't empathize with others then you cannot truly understand the deeper needs of society. There is some science to support that.). Accountability means repairing harm and ensuring strong checks and balances to protect those who are most vulnerable and most easily dehumanized (An early metric that could lead to a concerning trend under the wrong pressures.). To protect our and our children's futures. There is a greater empathy and standard that emerges. We must always grab the next rung in our climb as a people.

Lies and Neuroscience

Feel free to change around the elements and come see if that impacts what the expected outcomes might be or what would make the most sense. It is ok to disagree and find alternative solutions. This is what learning stories do.