Gad Saad, an author and scholar, is warning that Western society risks collapse because of what he calls "suicidal empathy," a concept he explores in his new book "Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind."
Saad points to the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel as a key example, noting how initial sympathy for the victims of the massacre of 1,200 people quickly gave way to criticism of Israel's response in Gaza.
"You would have thought that the orgiastic depraved killing of 1,200 mainly Jewish people... the worst single day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust would have afforded the world an opportunity to exhibit empathy towards the Jews," Saad said. "Well, alas, as we very quickly found out, October 7th was forgotten."
The scholar, who fled Lebanon with his family in 1975 during the civil war and later settled in Canada, said he noticed a sharp rise in antisemitism starting around 1998. He recently took a leave of absence from his post at Concordia University, citing difficulties for outspoken Jewish professors on campus.
"It became very, very difficult for, you know, a high-profile Jewish professor who's outspoken in his defense of the Jewish people to just walk in on campus," Saad said. He added that such open hatred signals moral decay in society.
Saad argues that empathy itself is not the problem but becomes dangerous when taken to extremes without moderation, echoing ideas from Aristotle. "If you're not in the least bit empathetic, you're likely to be a psychopath, if you are too empathetic, if it hyperactivates, if it targets the wrong people in the wrong circumstances, then that becomes suicidal empathy," he explained.
He links this mindset to broader cultural shifts originating on university campuses, including debates over gender ideology and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Saad referenced Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's 2022 confirmation hearing, where she declined to define the word "woman," saying she was "not a biologist."
"By that logic, when I next have to choose which type of Belgian shepherd to bring into my home, I better seek the help of a veterinarian," Saad said, mocking the response as overly cautious about basic realities.
Despite the 2024 election of President Donald Trump, Saad cautioned that political changes alone cannot fully reverse these trends. He stressed the need for longer-term cultural shifts and noted that many professors still fear speaking out, often requesting anonymity when contacting him about his work.
Saad, who is Jewish, described the current environment as one of accelerating antisemitism and said permitting genocidal hatred never leads to positive outcomes. He will serve as a distinguished professor at the University of Mississippi's Declaration of Independence Center for the Study of American Freedom next year.
The book also addresses how these ideas have spread from academia into politics, media and everyday culture, leaving society uncomfortable with objective definitions of concepts like gender.
Saad maintains that true change requires addressing root causes rather than relying on short-term political momentum.