The many facets of empathy

Cable news anchor Jake Tapper asked President Biden in a 2022 interview, “Do you think Vladimir Putin is a rational actor?” (See “Interview with President Joseph R. Biden,” CNN.) If getting President Biden to comment about what’s going on inside Putin’s mind was the intent of Tapper’s closed-ended question, it was the wrong one to ask. It doesn’t matter whether President Biden believes Putin is a rational actor; what matters more is the question Tapper should have asked: “What’s really important to Putin?” To have some inkling of Putin’s rationality, you first must understand what motivates his actions, behaviors and beliefs.

Getting inside a fraudster’s — or in this case Putin’s — mind by asking probing questions to help understand their motivations and perspective can make all the difference in an interview and ultimately tease out a confession. “Making a connection” and “establishing rapport” are terms we often use to signify creating a bond or level of understanding with someone. Empathy, along with trust, respect and dignity, goes far in helping set the tone for investigators to conduct successful admission-seeking interviews and uncover rationalizations fraudsters use to account for their actions.