The Empathy War

[00:00:00]Only in these past couple of years have I gained the ability empathy.

[00:00:04]>> I feel empathy, therefore I'm also morally superior to you.

[00:00:08]>> The Republican [music] mindset is an overall refusal to demonstrate empathy.

[00:00:13]>> The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.

[00:00:18]>> Empathy >> ultimately outlasts tyranny.

[00:00:21]>> Empathy is a made-up new age term.

[00:00:23]>> Charlie Kirk will not suckle on my bountiful empathy teeth.

[00:00:26]>> People >> I'm not giving away the empathy milk >> very careful about >> empathy.

[00:00:30]>> [music] >> We have been fighting an escalating conflict for years now. A conflict in which there doesn't seem to be victims or casualties at first, and that's because it's a culture war. Why do people fight culture wars? For the right to define reality itself. Culture wars have real-world consequences, and the more our civilization exists online, the more culture wars will define the world we live in and the way we live it.

[00:01:03]>> You're in no position to dictate what we're going to feel.

[00:01:07]>> There are many battlegrounds in our culture war, but empathy has become one of the largest and most vicious, and that's because empathy is an issue that covers so many of the fault lines in our culture wars. The individual versus the group, male versus female, head versus heart, red pill versus blue pill. So, what is this thing everyone is fighting over? I'm busy.

[00:01:31]>> Why do I care?

[00:01:32]>> I need someone could explain empathy in under 1 minute.

[00:01:39]In the olden days, the days before empathy, times were brutal. Men would murder or enslave or not listen to their wives without the slightest feelings of guilt all until the great awakening.

[00:01:52]>> I feel your pain.

[00:01:54]>> Empathy had taken on a political hue.

[00:01:57]>> And I think we're going to have to talk more about the empathy deficit.

[00:02:01]>> Yes, forget the federal deficit, forget even my own attention deficit. I haven't got time for that. It's the empathy deficit that was the real problem.

[00:02:08]>> The ability to put ourselves in somebody else's shoes.

[00:02:11]To see the world through somebody else's eyes.

[00:02:15]>> And so, in 2012, we officially entered the age of empathy. Signed into law with a 2012 Empathy Act, an event taking place, let us not forget, during probably the greatest international byro crisis of our modern era. Okay, apologies, we may have gone a little off track there. Oh, the small issues you can occasionally find when applying vibes-based history.

[00:02:40]>> [music] >> Empathy is the ability to feel and understand someone or something else's emotions, and it's been around for a long time, perhaps as long as we've been [music] around recognizably as humans.

[00:02:55]However, although empathy itself has existed for millennia, discussion of it has only really taken place very recently. The word itself is only a little over 100 years old, being first [music] coined in 1909 by the British psychologist Edward Titchener. And even then, for most of the 20th century, there's barely a [music] whiff of the term. And then, in the 1990s, scientists discover what are called mirror neurons, neurons that fire in similar parts of the brain when you do an action as when you observe someone [music] else doing the same action. It's why you wince when you see someone else hurt themselves. In other words, some kind of empathy system is hardwired in our brain. And so, we enter the 21st century and the internet revolution, and boom, suddenly the word empathy is everywhere. In the 30 years between 1990 and 2020, there's a 300% [music] rise in use of the word in book titles.

[00:03:49]And during the same period, a near vertical 1,500% rise in the word in the titles [music] of medical studies. Suddenly, empathy, or at least discussion of empathy, is everywhere. [clears throat] >> [music] >> Empathy has indeed been hardwired into us, and that's because empathy offers some very obvious evolutionary advantages.

[00:04:14]>> I always remember the first time I held the bone of a creature that had walked the earth millions of years before.

[00:04:22]>> Scientist Jane Goodall tries to imagine what it must have felt like to be a dinosaur.

[00:04:27]>> I thought, once this creature stood here, it could feel hunger and thirst and pain. It could enjoy the early morning sun.

[00:04:35]>> In other words, she's employing empathy to understand the world millions of years ago. So, empathy can be a useful tool to see into the minds of others, be that loved ones or enemies or dinosaurs.

[00:04:46]And there's an even more important and useful aspect to empathy from an evolutionary point of view. And that's because it allows us to bond more successfully with those close to us. Our baby cries and we feel our baby's pain.

[00:04:59]Remember those mirror neurons? Well, what actually happens physiologically is that the receptors in our brain light up in the same areas as the brain of the baby who's crying. I we're feeling a version of what our baby is actually experiencing. And presumably, hopefully, we attempt to stop the crying. So, understanding and exchanging emotional information is obviously incredibly useful for group dynamics. However, although empathy can be useful, there are issues, as I myself have experienced. At which point, I should probably tell you about the sheep and the barbed wire.

[00:05:35]When I was young, on a countryside walk, I once found a sheep that was caught up in a barbed wire fence. I approached the animal to try and free it, but the sheep became terrified of me and struggled, further tying itself and hurting itself within the barbed wire. I felt like I was experiencing the pain of that sheep.

[00:05:53]I felt its fear, too. I felt the pain and the agony and the fear so much, too much, I just had to leave the sheep there. Disturbed, I ran away. So, my empathy first caused me to try and help the sheep and then made me back away and run off. Empathy enabled me to feel something for a distressed sheep, but it didn't help me actually solve the situation.

[00:06:16]>> [music] >> Yes, empathy can be used to enlarge our emotional knowledge, but too much empathy at a personal level is not, as Dr. K will tell you, a good thing.

[00:06:27]>> So, be very careful about empathy.

[00:06:30]Recognize that it can damage everything from your relationships to your self-esteem to have any having you even experience vicarious trauma and learn to set some of these limits, otherwise you will go absolutely insane. And then everyone around you who cares about you can go insane with you.

[00:06:46]>> And there's other issues. Enlarging our emotional knowledge doesn't necessarily make our judgment any better. Indeed, it can even impair that judgment. This is Amy, a 10-year-old girl with a medical condition. Studies show that you, the general public, would allow her to jump a medical queue past 10 children with more serious injuries if you've seen her face and you know her name and her backstory. In other words, if you empathize more with her, which means we will choose to save one person with a name who we can see rather than 10 nameless people we don't know and that's not always the best way to make decisions. Empathy gives us a spotlight we can use to shine on the world, but that spotlight, we should remember, shines with a very narrow beam. All charities know this, which is why they'll tell us about Akiru or Elsa or Nalukina. So, empathy does not always give us a wide beam for understanding, but unfortunately, it gets worse as empathy can even be used to cause evil.

[00:07:47]We may shake our head at a mob out to lynch an innocent black man without understanding how that mob was, in its own turn, stoked to rage by tales of black men essaying white girls. Empathy, in other words, can be used to make people feel more for one group of people and therefore stoke up anger against another group of people seen as outsiders. Much the same process happened in Nazi Germany, where anti-Semitism was stoked by riling ordinary Germans with stories of Jews doing horrific things to other Germans.

[00:08:20]In other words, empathy can be used to manipulate people. Empathy, it seems, is not always a good thing. Which means, if the left wants to sanctify empathy, the right would like a word.

[00:08:31]>> The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.

[00:08:36]>> Looks like we've got ourselves a good old-fashioned culture war.

[00:08:40]>> [music] [music] >> This is one of the true pathologies of the empathic collectivists, is that they presume that their reflexive empathy marks them out as [music] morally superior.

[00:08:55]>> Yes, empathy is used to make progressives feel superior.

[00:08:58]>> Suicidal empathy results in [music] you caring more about the perpetrator than the victim. That's suicidal empathy.

[00:09:05]>> No, hang on. It's suicidal [music] empathy. Yes, that's the problem, suicidal empathy.

[00:09:09]>> People's performative empathy ends up creating problems for other people instead of the people that they're being empathetic towards.

[00:09:17]>> No, sorry, that's performative empathy.

[00:09:19]That's the issue.

[00:09:20]>> We feel sorry for people that look like us and the people that look a bit different, we it's whatever. Because we have selective empathy.

[00:09:28]>> That's selective empathy. Selective empathy, that's the issue.

[00:09:31]>> It's It's they're exploiting a a a bug in Western civilization, [music] which is the empathy response.

[00:09:38]>> Well, actually yes, it's more of a bug in our programming. [music] >> I can't stand the word empathy actually.

[00:09:42]I think empathy is a made up new age term.

[00:09:44]>> Okay, empathy doesn't even exist. Look, I don't know. The political right is not exactly consistent on its problem with empathy. It seems there are issues, but they're rather selective and not exactly coherent. Taken as a whole, it seems more of a knee-jerk reaction. If we take a step back, we might say the right associates the issue with the feminization of our society and it has issues. So, how about the left? Well, there seems to be incoherence there as well.

[00:10:14]There's a rather ugly expression I've often heard in more progressive circles and that's the phrase lived experience.

[00:10:21]>> In my life >> my lived experience >> My lived experience >> lived experience >> lived experience >> My lived experience, your lived experience is one that uh it's undeniable.

[00:10:30]>> Undeniable? Allow me to deny it using the concept of empathy. The idea seems to be that you cannot truly understand someone else's life if you haven't actually experienced it yourself, lived experience. If you're not black, you cannot empathize with the black experience. If you're male, you can't empathize with the female experience. If you're straight, you cannot empathize with being gay. Which seems to me to be the precise opposite of empathy. Again, think back to our crying baby. We react to our baby's tears not because we have a lived experience of being a baby and remember what it's like to cry. It's much more direct than that. We see the crying, pain receptors in our brain light up, we feel the pain, and we try and help the baby. Which means, yes, we can all empathize with all of our fellow humans, whatever their color or gender or sexuality. We humans can empathize with a lot more than that. I can empathize with a sheep. Jane Goodall can empathize with a bone. We can even empathize with rocks as demonstrated in the film Everything Everywhere All at Once.

[00:11:37]Look, this really isn't that complicated. Empathy is a useful sense.

[00:11:41]However, it can get oversold or manipulated or over-experienced. So, empathy is not a superhuman quality, but neither is it a flaw. Or, as Elon Musk described it, >> a bug in Western civilization, which is the empathy response.

[00:11:57]>> Hang on. Remember those motor neurons?

[00:12:00]Well, research has shown that increasing an individual's sense of power decreases the activity of motor neurons. In other words, when you feel vulnerable, you're more likely to empathize with the world.

[00:12:12]But, the more power you obtain, your brain actually becomes structured to be less empathetic. Power, it seems, corrupts neurologically. Listen to Musk's empathy system in action as he discusses seeing a homeless person.

[00:12:25]>> I feel weird to say like the homeless thing cuz it it it sort of preys on people's empathy. And I I think we should have empathy. Um and we should try to help people. Um but, like when you when you meet like, you know, somebody who's like totally dead inside shuffling along down the street with a with a needle dang- dangling out of their leg. I mean, you see these videos of people that are just shuffling, you know, they're on the fentanyl. They're they're like, you know, taking a dump in the middle of the street, you know, with a a a they they got like open sores and stuff.

[00:12:54]They they not like one drop offer away from getting back on their feet.

[00:12:57]>> Do you notice the incoherence of Musk's point of view? How he describes meeting this homeless guy, then seeing him on a screen. This is not a man that sees his fellow human beings as fellow human beings. But, then it turns out, if you're planning to cut off aid to millions of the most desperate worldwide, empathy may not be that helpful. So, Elon Musk may be a deeply unempathetic individual, but does that mean he's wrong? Is empathy a bug in our wiring? Well, try thinking of empathy the way love was used by the 1960s peace movement. I mean, love is great and everything, but it turns out, and please [clears throat] forgive me St. John and St. Paul, it's not all you need. So, by all means critique love as a universal panacea, but imagine calling love a bug in human evolution. I feel I should wrap this all up. So, let me do so with a case study. Indeed, the very reason I became so increasingly absorbed by the concept of empathy these last couple of years. So, follow me, please, down this last rabbit hole.

[00:14:00]>> [music] >> Only in these past couple of years have I gained the ability, empathy.

[00:14:08]>> This is iDubbbz, who became famous for saying stupid things on YouTube, which annoyed left-wingers, and then got punched in the head, and then apologized for saying stupid things, which annoyed right-wingers, and then said some more stupid things.

[00:14:21]>> It sounds really pathetic to say at the age of 32, I've acquired empathy.

[00:14:26]>> iDubbbz claiming he discovered empathy at the ripe old age of 32 did not go down well on the internet. And I think the reason is our intuitive understanding of how empathy works. It's not just something you instantly install with an on-off switch.

[00:14:40]>> I'm not giving away the empathy milk for free.

[00:14:42]>> Yeah.

[00:14:43]>> Sorry. Sorry, Donald Trump doesn't get as much empathy as my wife. That's just kind of how it goes.

[00:14:49]>> That's true.

[00:14:49]>> iDubbbz's transformation from edgelord to social justice warrior happened after he met his wife, Anisa.

[00:14:56]>> Only in these past couple of years have I gained the ability, empathy.

[00:15:00]>> Now, I have no doubt that this relationship taught iDubbbz understanding, compassion, sympathy, even, yes, love. But, iDubbbz chooses the imprecision and the in elegance of empathy precisely because he feels he's now fighting a culture war for the left.

[00:15:17]And in this battle, empathy will be his armor.

[00:15:20]>> A big part of the Republican mindset is an overall refusal to demonstrate empathy.

[00:15:26]>> This is Hasan [ __ ] neo-Marxist, friend to iDubbbz, and widely regarded as the most popular political streamer on the planet. Hasan is a gateway drug to empathy. That's not my description, that's his own.

[00:15:40]>> Is that how you describe yourself?

[00:15:42]>> Um, just gateway drug to empathy.

[00:15:45]>> [laughter] >> A gateway drug >> now and it >> Well, that's very sweet and very very cringey. But in action, Hasan demonstrates anything but empathy.

[00:15:54]>> I despise you. I despise you more than anything else on the planet. You are [ __ ] cancer, okay? You are cancer in this community and you're a cancer in every community.

[00:16:05]>> Whenever I observe online political interaction, I'm always shocked at the startling lack of empathy on display.

[00:16:12]Here's Hasan talking about a refugee from communist Vietnam. And remember, this is the political left here. These are the supposed defenders of empathy.

[00:16:21]>> Uh, we have endured suffering under the communist regime, um, and we believe that, uh, >> Okay, [ __ ] you, dude. I mean, seriously, [ __ ] you, old lady. Shut the [ __ ] up, you stupid [ __ ] idiotic old lady with your stupid [ __ ] gamer headset.

[00:16:41]Who has [ __ ] you harder, America or [ __ ] Ho Chi Minh? Suck my dick, old lady. God damn, dude. Yo, [ __ ] this refugee, okay?

[00:16:50]>> And Hasan [ __ ] is by no means alone.

[00:16:52]This is another left-wing streamer called Anthony Sargon, who got pulled into the iDubbbz drama. I [ __ ] hate these people. They're horrific. These people are horrific. This couple is a horrible couple. Who's a horrible couple? Well, these two. The man, Michael Briggs, was iDubbbz and Anisa's boxing coach, who came out online to dish the dirt on iDubbbz and some of his less than empathetic actions. Now, the coach's wife, Kate Briggs, also happens to campaign against child brides due to the fact that she herself was forced into a marriage aged just 12 years old.

[00:17:27]>> I WAS A CHILD BRIDE. AGAIN, I mean, it's very sad to be a child bride, but to grow up to be an adult [ __ ] She went from child bride to adult piece of [ __ ] So, [ __ ] you and your story.

[00:17:38]>> So, here we are, the progressive left making fun out of someone forcibly married aged 12, even though it has absolutely nothing to do with their drama. And all because, again, he's fighting a culture war, which makes him see enemies instead of people. And that's not even the biggest issue. The biggest issue isn't people saying cruel or stupid things. People have always said cruel and stupid things. The biggest issue is why are people listening?

[00:18:06]>> [music] >> Right now, we are all existing online within hyper information bubbles that fight for our attention by rewarding controversy, grievance, or obnoxiousness, even psychopathy. None of the behavior we associate with empathy.

[00:18:23]We have set up information spaces that reward those who grab our attention with the loudest and most strident voices.

[00:18:30]And I think we all know how few of the people screaming at each other online would do so to each other's face without an audience. Empathy really blossoms from face-to-face interaction in real life. But, as we increasingly hide behind our keyboards, that actual human interaction only diminishes. It's the ultimate irony. We talk about empathy online all the time, but hardly ever exhibit it. Online culture has helped springboard empathy into international discourse, and online culture has transformed the issue into a culture war where empathy itself has become a victim. You see, when you want to disagree with someone, when you want to argue with them, fight them, own them, destroy them, well, [clears throat] empathy's the last thing you actually need.

[00:19:16]>> Heavy things >> [music] >> it feels.