"Suicidal Empathy" author Dr. Gad Saad Wants to Save The West from Itself

Episode Details

Why are Jews expected to show empathy to everyone, even those who want them dead?

Dr. Gad Saad, evolutionary psychologist, bestselling author, and newly arrived Jewish immigrant to America, breaks down the provocative thesis behind his New York Times bestseller, Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind.

Saad explains what he calls “suicidal empathy” and how it can lead societies to excuse extremism, overlook threats to Western values, and sacrifice their own safety in the name of tolerance. Using examples including Canada’s handling of returning ISIS fighters, the rise of antisemitism on university campuses, and Jewish activists who turned against Israel after October 7, Saad argues that empathy must be grounded in reality.

He also shares his deeply personal history of growing up Jewish in Lebanon, recalling childhood experiences of antisemitism, including classmates cheering for a boy who declared he wanted to become a “Jew killer.”

Now teaching at the University of Mississippi’s Declaration of Independence Center for the Study of American Freedom, Saad discusses why he left Canada after receiving death threats, his concerns about immigration and assimilation, and the psychological blind spots that prevent people from recognizing danger until it reaches their own doorstep.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

Suicidal Empathy: When Compassion Becomes Dangerous