I've often said that seeing other people as actual other people is one of the hardest things to do in life. People who have their own problems, their own pet peeves, their own hardships, and own annoyances. I wont go far enough to say that people, in general, do not care about their own effect on the days of others, I'll say that  we tend to be more oblivious to the idea than anything.

The "American way" is very self centered. If someone wants to listen to loud music or cut in front of you on the freeway, the idea of how that effects the other people forced to deal with it is something we cannot truly fathom. I try as best as I can, but it really is the most difficult thing we, as people, must do.