A short YouTube monologue by Andy Neary distinguishing empathy from enabling. Neary defines empathy as understanding someone’s situation while challenging and helping them grow, and defines enabling as comforting someone so they remain unchanged; he applies this contrast to health insurance brokers and urges viewers to reflect and respond.
Chapters
Do you show empathy or are you just enabling? I think as a society, we're getting these two words mixed up greatly these days. What we think is empathy is actually nothing more than enabling people to stay right where they are. Right where? Right in mediocrity. What's the difference between the two? Well, in my opinion, here's what they are. Empathy is this. Listen, I know where you're coming from. I've been there too. But I'm not gonna let you stay there. I'm going to challenge you. I'm going to teach you. I'm going to help you grow so you can uplevel your results.
Enablement is this. Listen, I know where you're at. I've been there too. And I'm going to coddle you, I'm going to pat your back, tell you everything's okay. I'm going to give you everything just so you can stay right where you are. That doesn't help anybody grow. And that's not empathy whatsoever. I'm seeing it in the health insurance world of all places. There's two types of brokers right now. The enabler says this. Hey, Mr. Mrs. Employer, I know health insurance is frustrating. I know the carriers aren't helping you out. I know the health care system is frustrated. So you know what? I'm just gonna complain with you and I'm gonna let you stay right where you're at. I'm gonna let you continue to have mediocre results because it's frustrating. The person showing empathy, the broker who's winning right now is doing this. Mr. And Mrs. Employer, I know health insurance is frustrating. The health care system is complex, but not going to let you stay frustrated. I'm going to challenge you. I'm going to share strategies with you that are going to help you and your employees grow. So you need to come along for the ride. I'm going to lift you up. Guess who's winning right now? So whether you're in insurance, you're in sales, or any kind of customer service, what you may think is empathy is nothing more than enabling your customer to stay right in mediocrity. Don't let that happen to you. So let me know what you think. Do you agree? Do you disagree? Am I off base? Is society confusing empathy for what is actually an enablement? Let me know below because, hey, I want to help you grow. I'm going to be empathetic to you, but I'm going to help you grow.
