Individual development and family rituals begin in the family's communication crucible, where infants first encounter the external world through face-to-face interaction. These immediate personal exchanges, involving eye contact and the first sounds of conversational speech, begin to form the core neurobiological and social foundations of attachment, early social cognition, and emotional development (Farroni et al., 2002; Trevarthen & Aitken, 2001; Feldman, 2007).
Have you ever noticed someone in power who seems rather indifferent to the opinions of others? Perhaps you've witnessed a leader who doesn't seem tuned in to the experiences of the people they lead. It's not just your imagination, and it may not be that the person was always like that. Instead, it appears that having power actually impairs a person's ability to empathize. If that isn't concerning enough, people are unaware of this power-induced tendency in themselves, thus falling victim to a blind spot.