Bartenders' Roundtable: Empathy Training

Much like cab drivers, bartenders have a privileged perch from which to observe the human carnival. They overhear conversations whose participants either think they have total privacy or don’t care whether they do or not. On top of that, people tell them things—things people may not be comfortable sharing with their closest relatives or clergy members. It happens all the time. In this episode of Bartenders’ Roundtable, our four drink slingers from four very different types of watering holes talk about how bartending has shaped their view of themselves and of human nature—and how their on-the-job training has helped them navigate some of life’s trickiest phases.