Gad Saad Links Western Societal Decline to "Ideological Castration" of Men, Citing Upcoming Book "Suicidal Empathy"

Public intellectual and evolutionary psychologist Gad Saad recently asserted that a "50+ years social engineering experiment" has led to the "ideological castration" of Western men, attributing societal issues to this phenomenon. The Concordia University professor made the statement on social media, linking it to a specific news story as a "manifestation of that reality." Saad also referenced his book, The Parasitic Mind, and his forthcoming work, Suicidal Empathy.

"This happens because aggressive and violent men are only restrained by other potentially aggressive and violent men. However, the West has engaged in a 50+ years social engineering experiment wherein they have ideologically castrated their men. Hence, only one outcome can take place. This story is a manifestation of that reality," Saad stated in his tweet.

Saad, known for his critiques of postmodernism and "woke" ideologies, argues that harmful "idea pathogens" erode reason and common sense. His 2020 book, The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense, explores how these intellectual viruses can hijack cognitive systems, leading to societal dysfunction. He maintains that an ideological attack on masculinity, often stemming from radical feminism, has profoundly harmed young men's sense of self.

His upcoming book, Suicidal Empathy, delves into the concept of empathy taken to an extreme, where it leads to disastrous policy outcomes and a societal tendency to prioritize the concerns of perpetrators over victims. Saad, who has discussed this idea on podcasts like Joe Rogan's, suggests that such misdirected empathy contributes to "civilizational suicide." The notion of "suicidal empathy" has also been echoed by figures such as Elon Musk and JD Vance, who have similarly warned against excessive or misapplied empathy as a weakness in Western civilization.

A professor of marketing at Concordia University, Saad applies evolutionary psychology to human behavior, including consumer choices and social dynamics. He frequently engages in public discourse, advocating for free speech and scientific inquiry against what he perceives as ideological conformity. His views often spark debate, positioning him as a leading voice against what he terms the "progressive diversity cult" and its perceived negative impact on Western values.