A woman initiated MAGA's campaign against empathy

Earlier this year, Elon Musk sparked widespread attention by claiming that empathy is a weakness in Western civilization. On Joe Rogan's podcast in February, the Tesla CEO argued that being heartless was beneficial, describing empathetic responses as akin to a computer glitch. Musk suggested that excessive concern for others could lead to the downfall of humanity.

This perspective, however, was heavily influenced by Gad Saad, a Canadian professor who calls himself an evolutionary behavioral scientist but whose academic background is in marketing and management, not biology. In 2024, Saad began promoting the idea that empathy acts like a cancer on society, lacking a natural limit and ultimately threatening human survival. Despite its unscientific nature, this argument has been welcomed on platforms like Rogans podcast.

While Musk and Saad framed anti-empathy rhetoric using pseudo-scientific language, the modern conservative campaign against empathy actually traces back to a woman. Christian influencer Allie Beth Stuckey, a creationist who rejects evolution, has built her platform around redefining Christian teachings. In her book Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion, released in late 2024, Stuckey portrays empathy as dangerous, arguing that excessive compassion blinds people to objective truths like traditional gender roles, opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, and anti-immigrant beliefs.

Stuckeys approach recycles longstanding conservative ideas that kindness and compassion are not central to Christian love. Instead, she presents love as a form of discipline or correction, where denying equality or dignity is framed as ultimately beneficial. Her strategy leverages her feminine presentationsoft aesthetics, pastels, and a podcast branding designed to evoke gentlenesswhile delivering content that is authoritarian and exclusionary.

This contrast between appearance and message makes her approach particularly persuasive. Unlike male critics of empathy, who can seem overtly aggressive or sexist, Stuckeys feminine persona masks the extremity of her views. By positioning herself as a woman challenging compassion, she amplifies her influence, especially among audiences tired of traditional morality critiques.

Stuckeys method is not merely aesthetic. Her public persona combines brash confidence with the ability to assert controversial claimssuch as denying dinosaurs existedwith unwavering certainty. Social media amplifies this performative skill, allowing her to occupy a space typically reserved for domineering men, while framing herself as morally and intellectually authoritative.

Ultimately, Stuckey weaponizes gender to make a campaign against empathy feel both novel and credible. The term toxic empathy implies that society suffers from an overabundance of compassion, particularly from women, and that this surplus threatens cultural and moral stability. Through this lens, she has become a central figure in the conservative effort to recast empathy as a societal liability.

Empathy Under Fire: The Conservative Campaign to Redefine Compassion

The debate over empathy as a societal force has taken an unexpected turn, moving from the fringe views of Elon Musk and Gad Saad to a more mainstream conservative narrative led by Christian influencer Allie Beth Stuckey. This shift is not just a philosophical debate but part of a broader ideological shift in conservative circles, aiming to reshape how we understand compassion and its role in society.

At the heart of this movement is the idea that empathy, particularly when expressed in excess, is a weakness rather than a virtue. While Musk's anti-empathy rhetoric was grounded in pseudo-scientific theories, Stuckey has grounded her claims in a reimagined version of Christian morality. In her book, *Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion*, she critiques the cultural prevalence of empathy, suggesting it leads to the erosion of "objective truths" such as traditional gender roles, opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, and anti-immigrant positions.

What makes Stuckey's campaign particularly effective is her ability to mask her extremist views with a carefully cultivated persona. Through soft aesthetics and a gentle feminine approach, she positions herself as a credible and approachable figure advocating for a moral stance that is both authoritarian and exclusionary. This juxtaposition of appearance and message is disarming, making her anti-empathy rhetoric seem less extreme and more palatable, especially among audiences that are disillusioned with traditional conservative moral arguments.

By branding herself as a woman challenging empathy, Stuckey effectively manipulates gender dynamics to further her cause. In contrast to male critics who often come across as aggressive, Stuckey uses her feminine persona to amplify her influence and present her views as both morally and intellectually sound. This tactic not only shifts the narrative but also positions her as a unique voice in the conservative movement, taking on a challenge that is typically seen as a male-dominated discourse.

In conclusion, the campaign against empathy is gaining traction, with Stuckey at the forefront, using her platform to redefine compassion as a societal threat. As this narrative continues to unfold, it will be crucial to examine how these views are shaping public discourse and influencing political and cultural ideologies.

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• MAGA’s war on empathy was started by a woman