Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
And the brain within that head? Possibly damaged.
That’s the premise of a new piece in The Atlantic which cites a study from Ontario’s McMaster University that found CEOs and other individuals in positions of power often suffer from an “empathy deficit” because their brains “stop simulating the experience of others.”
Using a technique that relies on magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in specific regions of the brain, the McMaster University researchers found a neural process known as “mirroring” (basically, the automatic and unconscious generation of sympathy when we see a familiar action being performed by another) is impaired in the brains of the rich and powerful.
While subtle, the impairment can lead to a reduced ability to see things from the perspective of another person, a problem that’s associated with traumatic brain injuries. “Once we have power, we lose some of the capacities we needed to gain it in the first place,” The Atlantic explains.
A possibly brain-damaged powerful person with no ability to show empathy?
Doesn’t sound like anyone we know. Oh, wait …
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