Actually, I would argue that what you did was more difficult, emotionally, than what goes on in government.
You had a personal relationship with those people and you were put into a position where you had to, in a way, harm them. I would argue that most people in politics don't have anywhere near that level of personal connection with the people they affect which makes it much easier to rationalize and justify.
How much of this is highly empathetic people opting out?
I was an emotional wreck for close to a month when I had to layoff half my team.
And in the grand scheme of things I'm not particularly empathetic and laying people off is nothing compared to the choices made at a national level.