“We’ve got civilizational suicidal empathy going on,” Musk said, borrowing the term from Gad Saad, a Canadian scholar who is also a frequent Rogan host.
While Musk said he believes in empathy and that “you should care about other people,” he also thinks it’s destroying society.
“The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy, the empathy exploit,” Musk said. “There it’s they’re exploiting a bug in Western civilization, which is the empathy response.”
Empathy isn’t just about being nice — it’s a function of the brain that helps us understand, connect, and feel safe with others. When empathy is blocked or missing, the brain can shift into survival mode, numbing emotional responses, weakening social bonds, and even shrinking areas related to compassion and self-awareness.
Chronic stress, emotional neglect, or repeated rejection can rewire the brain to tune out other people’s emotions as a way to protect itself. But over time, that same defense can leave someone feeling isolated, misunderstood, or emotionally disconnected, even from themselves.
Former President Barack Obama suggested during an appearance on his wife's podcast earlier this week that men need gay friends to learn "empathy and kindness" while preparing for potentially fathering a son who identifies as gay or non-binary.
A recent New York Times profile of conservative YouTube host Allie Beth Stuckey shines a spotlight on one of the most influential voices in today’s intersection of faith and politics — especially for young Christian women. Her platform, steeped in evangelical theology and conservative values, doesn’t shy away from provocative statements. But one term in particular caught my attention: “toxic empathy.”
In a conversation with Ross Douthat, Stuckey warns her followers that too much empathy — especially when directed at people whose values or identities diverge from their interpretation of Scripture — can be dangerous. Her concern is that empathy, taken too far, erodes biblical truth and moral clarity.
Over the past year-and-a-half, I’ve witnessed something deeply disturbing: empathy itself being used as a weapon instead of a bridge. I call this phenomenon “empathicide.”
As a practicing psychiatrist, I have spent my life appreciating and teaching the value of empathy — one of humanity’s most precious tools for healing, connection, and moral growth. But over the past year-and-a-half, I’ve witnessed something deeply disturbing: empathy itself being used as a weapon instead of a bridge. I call this phenomenon “empathicide.”
What Is Empathicide?
Empathicide is the social and psychological process where the genuine, healing intent behind empathy is distorted into an instrument that excludes, dehumanizes, or silences.
A Window Into Empathy This research adds to a growing understanding that the brain is constantly processing social information, much of it below conscious awareness. The next challenge is to figure out how to help people access and trust those latent signals more effectively—improving social connection and reducing loneliness.
As the authors note, effective social signaling and accurate inference are foundational to human relationships. By clarifying how these processes unfold in the brain, we move closer to understanding—and perhaps enhancing—the empathy that keeps our communities connected.
Depending on where you look, the world seems more divided than ever before. In many ways, society’s love of individualism has isolated us. Combined with the hyper-tailored tech algorithms, this has created more siloed conversations and polarizing viewpoints. With such a system to navigate, it’s no surprise that empathy for your fellow man isn’t often prioritized.
But the truth is that a mass turn to empathy is necessary at this juncture. Nothing will come of dehumanizing others. Now more than ever, we must harness the power of human connection to guide meaningful change, and those in leadership positions can lead the way with their actions.
Empathy fosters a positive work environment. Empathetic leaders and managers can create a supportive and inclusive work environment. Employees who feel understood and appreciated are more engaged and motivated. Empathy in the workplace can lead to higher job satisfaction, reducing employee turnover and the associated costs of hiring and training new staff.
“Leadership is about empathy,” said entertainer Oprah Winfrey. “It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.
Carl Jung’s Warning About Empaths — It’s Darker Than You Think | Carl Jung Original 🌌 In this hauntingly powerful message inspired by the original writings and teachings of Carl Jung, we explore the hidden, archetypal shadow of the empath.
🕊️ Empathy is praised as virtue—but Jung knew better. Behind the sensitivity lies a dangerous threshold, where the line between compassion and possession vanishes. The empath becomes not a healer, but a sponge for the world’s unresolved pain.
📖 In this full-length audio experience, discover:
Why Carl Jung believed unconscious empathy leads to psychic fragmentation
How empaths become vessels for ancestral and archetypal wounds
The mythic warning signs that your soul is not your own The path of individuation: reclaiming spiritual sovereignty The difference between witnessing pain and absorbing it 💡 This isn’t spiritual romanticism. This is psychological initiation. 🕯️ Listen closely—and ask yourself: “Is this feeling mine?”
I used to think empathy was my superpower. I could walk into a room and instantly feel the tension between colleagues, sense when my friend was masking heartbreak with laughter, absorb the anxiety of strangers on the subway. I wore this sensitivity like a badge of honor until the day I realized it was slowly killing me.
The breaking point came during a family dinner. My sister mentioned her job stress, my mother shared her health concerns, and my father complained about his commute. Within minutes, I was carrying everyone’s emotional baggage while they continued eating dessert. That night, I lay awake replaying their problems, crafting solutions they never asked for, feeling responsible for pain that wasn’t mine.
Empathy is more than just feeling sorry for someone It’s about understanding their emotions, seeing the world through their eyes, and responding with compassion. Sometimes, the right words can open our hearts and deepen our awareness of others' struggles. These 10 powerful quotes offer insight into what empathy truly means and why it’s so essential in a divided world.
Leading with empathy requires us to have humility in complex situations—seeking to understand and be strategic instead of using assumptions and quick reactions.
That’s why I teach people to be consciously curious. It’s the practice of slowing down our judgments, letting go of the need for instant certainty, and asking better questions to explore. Assumptions might work fast, but we need more than speed. Here’s how to do it.
But Christians should know better. As followers of Jesus, we must hold two truths our culture keeps trying to pull apart: we can grieve these lives and demand action. We can lament tragedy and work to prevent the next one. Love requires both.
Two things are true: we cannot afford to lose empathy. And we cannot afford to stop pushing for action.
Empathy Is Not Toxic—It's Transformative
Empathy should not be controversial—especially for Christians—and somehow it has become an embattled word.
Redesign with empathy We didn’t start by drafting Vue.js components in isolation. Instead, we spent a week mapping every user flow – logging in, spinning up rules, and digging into DDoS logs. That meant:
One-on-one interviews with security engineers Screen-share sessions with support staff (“Where do you click first?”) Whiteboard workshops to pin down the minimal set of controls you need By the end of that phase, we had a simple rule: clarity over cleverness. If an action didn’t have an obvious place in the UI, it didn’t get drafted.
He then recalled one of his college professors at Occidental College, a gay man who became an important mentor. “One of the most valuable things I learned as a guy was I had a gay professor… who became one of my favorite professors and was a great guy and would call me out when I started saying stuff that was ignorant,” Obama said.
The former president went on to say, “You need that to show empathy and kindness. And by the way, you need that person in your friend group, so that if you then have a boy who’s gay or non-binary or whatever, they have somebody that they can go, ‘OK, I’m not alone in this.'”
Researchers at the University Alliance Ruhr have discovered new insights into how acute illness affects empathy. Their study confirms complex relationships between physical well-being and empathy.
When people are ill, they feel less empathy for others than when they are healthy. This has been confirmed by a study conducted by Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. The researchers investigated "sickness behavior", a process in which the body reorganizes its biological priorities in the context of an acute infection. So far, it has mainly been researched in connection with social withdrawal and feelings of social disconnection. But how does illness affect our empathy? The current study sheds new light on the links between infections with inflammation in the body and the ability to empathize with the pain of others. The team from Bochum and Essen, which is cooperating as part of the University Alliance Ruhr, published its findings in the journal "Brain, Behavior, and Immunity".
If you ask me why I am a conservative, the answer isn’t philosophical. It’s practical. As a law professor once broadly stated: conservatives aspire to do what experience shows works; liberals aspire to try something new they hope will work. While both are needed for a stable and improving America, I believe that on balance, most decisions in governance are better served by looking to what we know works.
Empathy works. Compassion for our fellow Idahoans works. The desire to understand the needs, perspectives and concerns of others with different lived experiences works. Be skeptical of anyone who tells you those aren’t conservative values. They are — even if some have forgotten it.
Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller Blending personal trauma, academic research, and client work, Dr. Robinson-Winemiller delivers a powerful argument for why strategic, actionable empathy is the next evolution of leadership - not as a soft skill, but as a competitive edge.
"Organizations without empathy can't continue as they have in the past - I know this, because I've lived it. Command-and-control style leadership is dead. Empathy offers a smarter, data-driven, results-oriented, and skills-based path for leaders ready to supercharge their impact for the future, said Dr. Robinson-Winemiller. "Empathy isn't soft or fluffy, and it's not just about feelings. It's a measurable, teachable skill that directly impacts profit, performance, and innovation."
In the modern workplace, where change is constant and challenges are abundant, the importance of empathy cannot be overstated. Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, serves as a powerful catalyst for creating a healthy workplace culture. It is not merely a soft skill; it is a fundamental aspect of effective leadership and team dynamics.
A culture grounded in empathy fosters a sense of belonging among employees. When individuals feel understood and valued, they are more likely to engage fully with their work and contribute positively to their teams. Empathy encourages open communication, allowing team members to express their thoughts and emotions without fear of judgment. This openness nurtures trust, which is essential for collaboration and innovation.
Empathy on Purpose challenges the notion that empathy is an inherent quality, offering a practical and actionable approach for leaders seeking to cultivate this crucial skill. The book emphasizes that empathy is a method that can be learned and applied to improve leadership effectiveness, team dynamics, and workplace culture.
Key topics include:
Understanding the three types of empathy: cognitive, emotional, and compassionate.
Avoiding common empathy pitfalls such as "Deer in the Headlights," "Fixer Upper," and "Spin Master."
Implementing the R.A.C.S.E. framework for practical application of empathy in various situations.
Building empathy into teams and organizational systems.
"Empathy on Purpose" provides leaders with the tools and strategies to create a more connected, collaborative, and high-performing work environment.
Radical Empathy by David Wells WORLD PREMIERE Radical Empathy is not about you. When an American college professor’s TED Talk on empathy goes viral, he meets an Iraqi man who becomes a fixture in his virtual classroom. But when the brutality of the U.S.-led invasion hits the Iraqi man directly, the professor is forced to explore “the kindred connection from a place of deep knowing that opens your spirit to the pain of another as they perceive it.” (Isabel Wilkerson) A true story.
In this powerful debut solo episode, Dr. Payal Beri explores a growing crisis that’s often ignored: the quiet unraveling of empathy in our modern world. From casual disengagement to emotional burnout, she unpacks how societal apathy and hyper-individualism are not just dividing us — they’re dismantling the very fabric of human connection.
Through deeply personal stories and thought-provoking insights, Dr. Beri challenges us to reflect on how avoidance, fear, and overload have made empathy feel optional. She asks the question: What happens when we stop caring? And more importantly, what can we do to reclaim our shared humanity?
I’ve worked long and hard in the world of faith-based community outreach. This podcast nails it. For myself, I have found that my empathy levels decrease when I don’t pull back regularly to recharge. Burnout is a key denominator in the fall of community workers. Worth the listen!
One of the most powerful qualities to possess in one’s character is the ability to practice true empathy. Not some form of surface-level compassion, but radical, immersive empathy — the kind that doesn’t just acknowledge someone’s pain or joy but fully inhabits it. To feel what they feel, to see the world through their eyes and to let that perspective transform the way you think, speak, build and lead without judgment.
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