Suicidal Empathy

Suicidal Empathy is a book by the Canadian marketing professor Gad Saad that details what Saad believes to be excessive, misdirected and a pathological form of empathy which is perceived to be destructive for the party that exhibits it, often by prioritizing compassion, understanding and empathy over logic, and long-term consequences.

Etymology

According to Saad, suicidal empathy is described as the inability to implement optimal decisions, when one is psychologically conditioned to prioritize empathy or displays of empathy over a rational course of action. He contends that this phenomenon often forms incorrect or undeserving targets of empathy who would otherwise require psychological help or condemnation. He states that suicidal empathy prioritizes minority groups such as transgender people and undocumented migrants at the expense of survival and security of one’s own groups and values.[1][2]

Saad compares the phenomenon of suicidal empathy to the suicide of wood crickets to benefit its parasites. In practical application, Saad extends this analogy to “progressive students, radical feminists, and even certain liberal Jews”. According to him, a subset of these groups internalize foreign ideas that prompt them act contrary to their own interests at the behest of inclusion and altruism.[3]

In the book, Saad frames suicidal empathy as a particularly dangerous “idea pathogen” contributing to what he views as the West’s potential civilizational collapse.[4]

Usage in broader discourse

The term is commonly used by right-wing commentators and Christian nationalist figures to criticize empathy toward groups such as immigrants and racial minorities. In this context, it is sometimes linked to the Great Replacement conspiracy theory. The Wall Street Journal linked Saad to Elon Musk, claiming the two had a 'public bromance'.[5][6]

In a 2025 interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, Elon Musk uses the phrase "civilizational suicidal empathy" to refer to what he believes is the corrosion of American culture. According to Musk, suicidal empathy refers to "weaponized" empathy to bring about political and policy modifications.[7][8][9]

The Guardian discussed the book among other works critical of empathy, characterizing the topic as a right-wing effort "...to dismantle and discredit one of the essential tools for any society – our capacity to recognize and respond to suffering. We should see the campaign against empathy by Trump supporters for what it is: a flashing red light warning of fascist intent."[6] According to the news magazine Salon, the portrayal of empathy as a weapon is an “overt assault” on what is a natural virtue of human beings.[10] Tim Hjersted of Films for Action argues that Saad's proposition which states that suicidal empathy leads to the framing of policies which will result in the destruction of society is not supported by any causal chain linking these factors, rather only consist of anecdotes, intuition and "moral alarm".[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Jeganathan, Max (2025-08-19). "Why are so many Christians suddenly opposed to empathy?". ABC Religion & Ethics. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  2. ^ Scheffer, Joakim (2026-01-14). "Gad Saad's New Book Blames Suicidal Empathy for Western Civilizational Decline". Hungarian Conservative. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  3. ^ Freeman, Robert (2026-01-28). "'Suicidal empathy' — the right's war on solidarity". Canary. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  4. ^ "Parasitic Ideas and Suicidal Empathy Are Killing the West". 2025-01-05. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  5. ^ Berlatsky, Noah (December 11, 2025). "What We Can Learn from the Right's Attack On "Toxic Empathy"". The Revealer. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  6. ^ a b Wong, Julia Carrie (April 8, 2025). "Loathe thy neighbor: Elon Musk and the Christian right are waging war on empathy". The Guardian. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  7. ^ Szalai, Jennifer (2025-07-18). "How Empathy Became a Threat". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  8. ^ Cameron, Michael; Square, Shoshannah Bryn Jones (2025-05-07). "MAGA's 'war on empathy' might not be original, but it is dangerous". The Conversation. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  9. ^ Wolf, Zachary B. (2025-03-05). "Elon Musk wants to save Western civilization from empathy | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  10. ^ Marcotte, Amanda (2025-04-11). "Elon Musk and the Christian right call empathy "toxic" and "suicidal" — blame their shared misogyny". Salon.com. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  11. ^ Hjersted, Tim. "Debunking Gad Saad's "Suicidal Empathy" Theory | Tim Hjersted". Films For Action. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
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