The Empathy Deficit

4. The subtle distinction or shade of meaning that prevents things from being just black and white.
7. The division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs.
8. The primary stress hormone that increases sugars in the bloodstream; it spikes when we feel isolated or threatened.
9. The recognition or affirmation that a person's feelings or opinions are valid or worthwhile.
12. The underlying structures or support systems that hold something up, like education or justice in a society.
15. A political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument.
18. What happens to muscles, or skills like empathy, when they are not used for a long time and begin to waste away.
19. A feeling that is so deep and intense it feels like it is coming from your internal organs rather than just your brain.
20. Systems, processes, or departments that operate in isolation from others, preventing information sharing.

1. The story we tell ourselves to make sense of the world; often used to cast ourselves as heroes.
2. A boss or leader who controls every small part of an enterprise or activity, often driven by anxiety.
3. The amount by which something is too small; a lack or shortage of something necessary.
5. The selfless concern for the well-being of others; doing good without expecting a reward.
6. Being excluded or banished from a society, group, or circle of friends.
10. A set of rules to be followed in calculations, specifically those on social media that determine what content you see.
11. A primate of a family that includes humans and their fossil ancestors; our ancient selves on the savannah.
13. Relating to the mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning, as opposed to emotion.
14. Living in a bubble, ignorant of or uninterested in cultures and ideas outside of one's own immediate experience.
16. Chamber An environment where a person only encounters information or opinions that reflect and reinforce their own.
17. Language or criticism that is incredibly harsh, biting, and filled with malice; chemically corrosive.