What does it mean to send condolences to a colleague when you don't know much about their mother? That carries the intimacy of sending someone a life event message because FB told you so.
I really don't see that as "spiritually bankrupt".
It has nothing to do with the mother. You would be sending condolences to him. If it's about his loss. Presumably his colleagues know something about him.
I mean, I got more than two condolences from my team when I mentioned that my cat was sick, and I think my team is smaller than the Harvard Divinity School.
Spiritually bankrupt? Not sure. It’s not great though.
It means “I recognize your humanity, and we all feel bad at times. It’s ok to grieve. I hope you feel better soon.” That’s what I hope it means when I send condolences to coworkers.
