Some people think this is a Western problem. The focus on individualism and ambition makes that an easy conclusion. But watching different groups over the years, that never quite held up. This is not a Western trait. It is a human tendency that can appear anywhere.

True communication isn't about finding people who are already in our box. It's about the courageous and empathetic work of stepping outside our own, to meet someone else in the vast, unmapped territory between us. It’s there, and only there, that real connection begins.