By intention of the writers and by ideas
from the actor, little by little, starting from the first episode, we've built this idea of a character who—what's important about Picard is not that he lacks empathy, because that is not true. It's not that he misses people's cues or doesn't understand the emotional dynamics of a situation, or is not sensitive to them, because that's not what's important about Jean-Luc Picard. Instead it's that at this point in his life he has an understanding of himself, that he needs to work to overcome a certain reserve, a certain detachment—the kind of detachment that leads someone to become a commander in the first place, that would lead someone to a career that involves such a hierarchy, where you're either in command or being commanded. And that you are at a remove from the people you command.
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