We are quoting anonymously those who did respond, to allow them the freedom to give us their most candid answers. These have been edited for length and clarity. Some have previously been reported by Fortune.
**Personal responses to the killing **
— “The disconnect between public perception and personal humanity has been striking, with some commentary bordering on dehumanizing. This highlights the critical need to humanize leadership and address the pressures faced in high-visibility roles.”
— “My challenge is keeping employees engaged. How do you maintain a sense of purpose if you think your customers hate you?”
— “I have to wonder if the demonization of corporate America and the wealthy over the last four years planted a mind virus in the assassin’s mind.”
— “If you walk by the place where it happened, it’s business as usual, which gives me some perspective. This was a random killing by a mentally ill person. Let’s not turn a tragic incident into a trend. Most people don’t hate CEOs. They don’t care about CEOs. They have bigger issues to care about.”
..."
Wow. 'demonization', 'need to humanize leadership'... Are these human people that were interviewed? Did these human persons speak anyone outside their immediate circle in the last three decades? I can hardly believe that, this is so out of touch that these folk may have never been touched by anything in their lives. I wasn't prepared for this speedrun worldrecord to definitively prove total lack of empathy and understanding.
Most people don’t hate CEOs. They don’t care about CEOs. They have bigger issues to care about [that the CEOs created for them to distract them].
In this current discussion, people are trying to open each others eyes about that silent part.
Also: Most people don’t hate CEOs. But we do think CEOs have no right to be making more than a thousand times what an honest working person should make, actually sacrificing lives for their profit. And when that kind of stealing and mass murder is sanctioned by the law, then what are the options?
If most people hated CEOs, that would mean most people were capable of hating, which means we're even more fucked in this world than I thought we were. I don't hate. I see that some people are a threat to society and need to be kept from harming the latter - but I recognize that for people to be capable of atrocities, something in their brain development has gone terribly wrong at some point in the past. So I don't hate them, in the same way I don't hate a virus that kills people - while still recognizing the need for a cure / vaccine.
Hate is just an emotion. Emotions aren't permanent, they are tied to moments. Surely theres situations you can think of that would at least cause a fleeting sensation of hate. Everyone has to deal with their emotions and thoughts, and we dont always get to pick which emotions and thoughts present themselves.
The only expectation we should have is that people at least try to improve their reactions to thoughts and emotions they would rather not have.
I dont believe for a second you are truly without hate all the time, thats not possible.
I dont believe for a second you are truly without hate all the time, thats not possible.
Well luckily I am not bound by what you believe :) I - figuratively - hate financial / economical / political systems - and I might occasionally say "I hate that <person>", only to correct myself right after with "no, I despise them". But I don't feel hate towards anyone. Because hate ruins my own day and our time on this planet is too precious for that. Especially - why would I give any asshole free real estate in my mind by preoccupying myself with them when they clearly do not deserve the attention?
I'm saying that moment before you correct yourself, you do feel hate. You choose to disregard hate, thats not the same as not having it at all. Similar to disregarding pain vs not feeling it at all.
Did these human persons speak anyone outside their immediate circle in the last three decades?
After late 90s and early 00s it seems that this has become rare.
First "speaking outside your immediate circle" has moved into interwebs. Second the interwebs have changed to no longer inconvenience those who don't want to see contradicting worldviews.
Just saying. CEOs are, of course, more isolated than many people. But their delusions are not unique by any measure.