The New American Psycho: How The War On Empathy Threatens Our Humanity
“A marked lack of empathy is one of the hallmarks of psychopathy.”
-Essi Viding
The first time that I heard the expression “the sin of empathy”, stated publicly by a Christian leader, I was sure that I had heard wrong. Not only was that exactly what he was saying in his denunciation of empathy, but he was one of countless others decrying the dangers of trying to understand and identify with the feelings and experiences of others.
How did we get here? How did empathy- long celebrated as the bedrock of human connection and compassion- become increasingly dismissed, criticized, and even vilified in American (and more widely, right-wing) discourse today? Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, the renowned psychiatrist who gave us the five stages of grief, once noted:
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.”
Empathy emerges from exactly these experiences, opening us to genuinely recognize and compassionately respond to the suffering of others. To lose sight of this is to lose sight of what makes us deeply and authentically human, a fact that would never have been disputed by the most conservative Christian of rural, Evangelical upbringing.
Yet today, prominent voices like Elon Musk make grand dismissals of empathy, calling it a form of “civilizational suicide.” He argues that this compassion is being weaponized, turning what was once a celebrated strength into a societal vulnerability. Musk sees empathy as a flawed weakness exploited by the left to justify policies he views as economically harmful or politically manipulative, such as expansive social welfare programs or immigration reforms. For Musk and those who share his views, empathy undermines fiscal responsibility, weakens national identity, and compromises the competitive edge needed in business and governance.
Despite many of the very things Musk rejects are practices core to Christian teaching, most on the religious right have joined in cautioning against empathy, claiming it compromises morality and spirituality. Rejecting the idea that the teachings of Jesus on welcoming the stranger or caring for the sick have any bearing on policy, they argue that empathy may lead believers to morally compromise by validating behaviours or identities that contradict their religious doctrines. How? By encouraging individuals to deeply identify with the feelings and experiences of others. In this view, empathy blurs the clear boundaries of the other moral teachings they prioritize, making it appear spiritually risky or even sinful.
Exposing this trend for what it is, it must be noted that a marked lack of empathy is widely recognized as a strong indication of psychopathy- a disorder defined by shallow emotional responses, callousness, manipulation, and a notable absence of remorse. A psychopath is an individual who, due to profound deficits in empathy, guilt, and emotional depth, readily engages in manipulation, exploitation, and harm toward others without remorse or genuine concern for their well-being. From the most powerful people in the world to the very pulpits of our church, this message against empathy is forging a very specific kind of nation, putting a terrifying new spin on “American Psycho”.
While America is no stranger to policies and values rooted in exploitation, colonialism, and systemic oppression, there was, at best, always a robust resistance among the people, and at least, a pretense at the values of justice, integrity, and truth. What makes our current situation particularly alarming, however, is how openly and unapologetically empathy is being demonized. This unsettling shift aligns disturbingly well with current societal trends, raising a crucial and uncomfortable question: Is America witnessing the rise of social psychopathy — a collective erosion of empathy that normalizes callousness, exploitation, and indifference to human suffering?
While some might find it an overstatement, psychopathy provides a powerful metaphor for understanding the implications of this campaign against empathy. Our personal and collective capacity for empathy lies at the core of our character, not allowing our own suffering to make us self-serving. James Baldwin put it plainly: “You must understand that your pain is trivial except insofar as you can use it to connect with other people’s pain.” Empathy is that critical bridge from personal suffering to collective understanding. Yet, the deliberate rejection of empathy, championed by influential leaders across business, politics, and religion, fosters increasingly xenophobic policies, deeper divisions, and diminished compassion.
Consider the consequences:
-Policies that disproportionately harm migrants, the poor, racial minorities, and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are increasingly defended with arguments that dismiss compassion as naive or weak. Selectively withholding empathy empowers injustice.
-Political dialogue grows harsh, filled with cruelty, ridicule, and indifference rather than meaningful engagement. When empathy is seen as weakness, hostility appears as strength, further polarizing our communities.
-Cultural narratives increasingly celebrate dominance, manipulation, and exploitation over mutual care, respect, and genuine solidarity. The glorification of power without compassion undermines trust, cooperation, and our shared humanity.
These shifts are in no way coincidences. They are the inevitable result of undermining the empathy at the heart of basic human decency. They actively foster environments that are eerily similar to psychopathy, where manipulation and exploitation thrive unchecked, and disregard for others’ well-being becomes normalized, even lauded as strength. A society that portrays empathy as a weakness loses its most potent tool for justice, reconciliation, and collective flourishing. Without empathy, democracy itself is endangered because it depends fundamentally on our capacity to see and affirm the humanity in others, particularly those different from us.
If America- and the rest of the world- continues down this path, we face an escalation of what we are already seeing: deepened fragmentation, authoritarianism that prizes dominance over care, and a normalization of injustice and cruelty. Empathy, far from being merely personal virtue, is essential to maintaining a healthy, equitable, democratic society. Such an assertion should not be controversial, regardless of political, social, or religious differences.
That is why framing our situation through the lens of psychopathy is not simply rhetorical- it is diagnostic. It is an essential acknowledgment of a critical problem that needs treatment and change. Not only do we need to reclaim empathy as an essential strength for our collective flourishing, but we need to find to root causes of how we got here and deal with them aggressively.
Empathy alone isn’t enough because, while it provides a critical foundation of understanding and emotional connection, it does not inherently translate into meaningful action. Empathy can motivate care, but without deliberate, consistent efforts to transform that emotional awareness and connection into tangible action, it remains incomplete. Empathy grows from humility, openness, and a genuine willingness to enter into the lived realities of others. It emerges when we choose vulnerability over control, curiosity over judgment, and interconnectedness over self-reliance. Practicing empathy fosters compassion, understanding, and solidarity- qualities essential for justice and democratic vitality.
It can feel cliche to say that, ultimately, the solution lies in embracing love- not a naive and sentimental love or a pious religious love, or any shallow abstraction- but rather an embodied love that is liberated from fear in order to genuinely place the well being of others, especially the most vulnerable, first and foremost. It is the love described by a man whose wisdom in these matters is acknowledged around the world, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., when he said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” Dr. King knew that we needed a love that was expressed through concrete actions, such as standing in solidarity, advocating fiercely, and supporting those marginalized or oppressed in practical ways. It insists on dignity, fights oppression, and fosters genuine relationships built on trust, respect, and mutual accountability. This active, embodied love transforms empathy from feeling into powerful action, propelling society toward authentic justice, meaningful equity, and collective well-being. This kind of love- this kind of empathy- takes strength and courage.
It would be all too easy for those of us who resist and reject this condemnation of empathy to respond to its champions in kind. While anger and strong resistance are necessary, we must be cautious not to allow ourselves to be drawn into a form of conflict that merely feeds into the dehumanizing psychopathy we are seeing emerge. In our resistance, we must also seek the liberation, not eradication, of our “enemies”. Again, this does not mean we do not fight with justifiable anger and resolute purpose, but it means we do so without treating those we oppose in the very ways they have treated others.
In the same way, we cannot turn away from the fight simply because it is too much. We cannot throw up our hands at the seeming impossibility of the task because almost every time we do so, the consequences of our silence and inaction are paid for but the most vulnerable. And while we must be intentional about self-care and healthy boundaries, we must also remember that the freedom to opt out is a privilege that not everyone is afforded.
Reclaiming empathy and living out embodied love isn’t idealism — it’s a necessary, practical commitment. Avoiding America’s slide toward social psychopathy requires intentional actions at both individual and collective levels.
Individually, it begins with self-reflection and openness to growth. We must commit to actively listening to others, especially those whose experiences differ from our own. This means consciously seeking out diverse perspectives, engaging in conversations with genuine curiosity rather than defensive skepticism, and recognizing our inherent biases. It involves making daily choices rooted in kindness, compassion, and justice, whether in our workplaces, homes, or social interactions. Practicing empathy in personal relationships creates a ripple effect, strengthening community ties and fostering an environment of mutual understanding and support.
Yet personal empathy must also translate into structural change. Legislatively, we need to advocate for policies that prioritize compassion, dignity, and equity. This includes supporting humane immigration policies, protecting and expanding social safety nets, ensuring affordable healthcare and housing, reining in the destructive excesses of capitalism, and advancing anti-discrimination legislation. We must elect leaders who value empathy and embodied love- leaders who demonstrate authentic compassion in both speech and policy- then hold them accountable to their commitments. Active civic engagement, such as voting, contacting representatives, participating in community organizing, and supporting grassroots initiatives, is essential in driving systemic change.
Henri Nouwen once wrote:
“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.”
This is the kind of empathy that invites us to pause in our certainty and listen. It is the kind of empathy that has enough humility to withhold solutions long enough the be present in and acknowledge the experiences of the other. It is the kind of empathy that guides both our personal choices and public policies, transforming communities into spaces where justice and compassion prevail. In reclaiming this empathy, we actively resist the pull toward social psychopathy, embodying instead the best of who we can be, both as compassionate individuals and as a just, caring society.
Jamie Arpin-Ricci is a bisexual author, award-winning advocate, founder of The Rainbow Well, and co-director of Peace & Justice Initiatives. He is also a pastoral leader at Little Flowers Community, a Mennonite church in Winnipeg, MB, where he has served a largely 2SLGBTQIA+ congregation for almost 15 years. Arpin-Ricci has provided community and support to countless 2SLGBTQIA+ people around the world for years.