I would like to think that if I had the good fortune to acquire billions of power coupons (dollars), I would live a comfortable life, but I would also make sure as many people around me as possible lived comfortably. I think a lot of us would. That’s why some of us can’t fathom the evil that drives men like Trump and Musk. Most of us, if given such power and influence, would help people, and we naively expect the same from them. Our brain chemistry, mirror neurons, and other parts of our cognitive programming drive this instinct.

But what distinguishes these broligarchs (Trump, Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos, Thiel, et al.) is their complete lack of empathy. It creates cognitive dissonance that many people can’t reconcile. This cognitive dissonance leads to a kind of personal gaslighting. In the face of such inhumanity, most of us can’t even fathom the behavior, so rather than believe what we’re seeing, we fall back onto our presumptions.

One who “leads” without empathy doesn’t lead at all; (s)he rules. Empathy, among many other things, is the realization that we don’t live in a vacuum. It is the realization that while I am a consciousness distinct from my environment, encapsulated in a sack of skin, I am also profoundly interconnected with this environment. It is the realization that so much depends upon a red wheelbarrow glazed with rainwater beside the white chickens.

It is the realization that this entire thing is an interactive construct. It is the wisdom to understand that life is not a zero-sum game, that our evolutionary human programming thrives on interdependence, and the innate understanding that if my success is predicated on your pain, my success is tainted. This makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. Humans never would have survived the slings and arrows of pre-neolithic life without our cooperative nature. Empathy and compassion are not just niceties. These traits are the difference between survival and extinction.

Research suggests that empathy is not just a moral trait but a neurological function tied to mirror neurons, which allow us to ‘feel’ the experiences of others. However, factors like extreme wealth, power, and isolation can dull this ability, creating a feedback loop where empathy erodes as self-interest grows.

When a broligarch’s prime objective is the accumulation of wealth and power seemingly for wealth and power’s sake, the emptiness begets more emptiness. There is no “there” there. It is a Sisyphean struggle. $398 billion cannot make a dent in such an abyss. It is the Hitchcockian Vertigo effect of an optical zoom in on a camera pan-out. The more Elon strips away aid for others, the deeper his abyss. The more Donald “owns the libs” the more he mortgages his soul.

This lack of empathy, this cognitive dissonance, this collective gaslighting all erode our perception of reality. To borrow from Robert Anton Wilson’s distillation of Timothy Leary’s theories of consciousness, we exist in disparate reality tunnels. This is the goal of one who wishes to rule rather than lead: divide and conquer. If MAGA exists in a separate reality tunnel, a Platonic cave of the ruler’s construction, they become an easily-led thought-army.

So what do we do? As more people navigate this cognitive dissonance and see these figures for who they truly are, there’s hope for collective action. Movements advocating for wealth redistribution, corporate accountability, and ethical leadership are gaining momentum. This awakening isn’t just about recognizing the problem—it’s about building a future where power is wielded with empathy and responsibility.

There are always the Machiavellians, the laissez-faire free-market capitalists, and the pragmaticians who shake their heads at the idealistic ramblings of an INFP like myself. The wisdom of years and experience weakens any effect this cynicism has on me. When I was younger, I would doubt myself. But experience has borne out a simple truth: empathetic love has yielded far better results in my life, personally, professionally, and societally. Putting myself out there has made me vulnerable, which, at first blush, feels like a weakness. But that very vulnerability, and the willingness to wear my heart on my sleeve, has helped me develop protection that is much more lithe and ergonomic than the stainless steel that hardens the hearts of hegemony.

The latest poll numbers suggest that more and more people are navigating this cognitive dissonance and coming out the other side with a new realization. People are waking up.