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Can too much empathy be harmful, and does that idea explain modern politics? Gad Saad's Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind argues yes, and it reached number one on the New York Times nonfiction list in 2026. This summary presents his argument and the objections to it.
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This summary covers Saad's central concept, the examples he uses, and the critics' objections, plus an honest look at the book's limits. You will find more titles like it in our Psychology & Mindset book summaries.
Best for: readers who want to understand a popular and contested argument about empathy and politics. Reading time of the book: about 6 to 7 hours in print (238 pages). Reading time of this summary: about six minutes.
The book in one sentence
Saad argues that empathy, when taken too far, becomes self-destructive, and he applies the idea to a wide range of political positions he opposes.
About the author and the book
Gad Saad is a Canadian academic and commentator. Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind was published by Broadside in 2026 in a 238-page edition and topped the New York Times nonfiction list in the week of May 31, 2026. The book has drawn both enthusiastic support and sharp criticism.
The book at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Author | Gad Saad |
| Publisher | Broadside, 2026 |
| Length | 238 pages |
| Main concept | Suicidal empathy: empathy that damages the people who feel it |
| Reception | Sharply divided |
| Label | Psychology & Mindset |
5 ideas worth remembering
1. Empathy can be self-damaging
Saad's core idea is that empathy is good but can become harmful when taken too far.
2. Empathy is biased
Paul Bloom's Against Empathy (2016) argues empathy favors visible, similar victims.
3. The label is applied widely
Saad uses it for immigration, crime, taxation, gender identity and content moderation.
4. Critics call it a grab-bag
Cathy Young argues the concept is stretched across too many unrelated issues.
5. Cruelty can also be called virtue
Young notes that sympathy for January 6 defendants and himpathy show the problem exists across the political spectrum.
Saad's argument
Saad coins the phrase suicidal empathy for the idea that empathy is good in itself but can become self-damaging when taken too far. The core claim is not absurd: psychologists such as Paul Bloom, in Against Empathy (2016), have argued that empathy is biased toward visible, similar victims and can lead to poor decisions. Saad takes that general worry and applies it to politics.
In practice, according to a critical review in The Bulwark, the term works in the book mainly as a label for left-leaning positions that Saad finds misguided. Those include support for migrants and Muslim immigrants, leniency toward criminals and homeless people, high taxes for social programs, defense of transgender identities and belief-based responses to sexual misconduct accusations.
He also argues that some research and content moderation are driven by excessive empathy, and he cites examples such as a 2024 squirrel-euthanasia case and the Twitter ban of Donald Trump. This summary presents these as Saad's arguments, not as established conclusions, because many of them are the subject of live political disagreement.
The critics' objections
The most developed critique comes from Cathy Young in The Bulwark. She accepts that the basic premise is sensible but says Saad forces too many issues into one grab-bag. In her reading, the book is selective and one-sided, downplaying Islamist radicalism and dismissing a small Italian town's refusal to judge all refugees by one case.
Young also objects to the analysis in specific places. She argues that opposition to race-and-intelligence research is attributed to empathy while ignoring historical reasons for distrust, and that one New York case Saad uses looks like a post-hoc explanation rather than a political motive. She calls his comments about a murdered woman who sheltered a homeless man repulsive.
Her broader point is that cruelty framed as virtue exists on the right too, for example sympathy for January 6 defendants, and that himpathy exists on the left. She describes the book as a repetitive list of right-wing grievances, heavy with self-quotation. Other reviews appeared in Quillette and Jacobin, and the book has also been defended by supportive outlets, so the reception is sharply divided.
How to read a polemic
Saad's book, published by Broadside in 238 pages, reached number one on the New York Times nonfiction list in the week of May 31, 2026. That fact shows its audience, not its accuracy. A bestseller can be popular for reasons that have little to do with how well it argues.
The most useful way to read it is as a polemic from one side of a political divide. It is worth reading if you want to understand the case against what its supporters see as excessive compassion in public policy. It is less useful as a neutral study of empathy in psychology, for which Bloom's earlier work or the broader research literature is a better starting point.
If you read it, keep two questions in mind. First, is a given policy actually motivated by empathy, or by something else? Second, does the author apply the same standard to causes he supports? Those questions are good tests for any book that claims to diagnose a whole culture with a single concept.
Strengths and limits
What works well
- A memorable concept that starts a real conversation about the limits of empathy.
- Builds on a genuine research debate in psychology.
- Clear and provocative writing.
Where it falls short
- Critics say it applies one concept to too many issues.
- Selective use of examples, according to reviewers.
- Repetitive and self-referential, according to The Bulwark.
Who should read it?
Who should read it: Readers who want to understand the case against what supporters call excessive compassion in policy. Who may skip it: Anyone seeking a neutral, research-based study of empathy.
Key takeaways
- Empathy can be biased, and that is a real research finding.
- Saad extends the idea to many political positions, which critics dispute.
- Reviews of the book are sharply divided.
- A bestseller is not proof of accuracy.
- Read polemics alongside opposing views.
FAQ
What is suicidal empathy?
It is Saad's term for empathy that becomes self-damaging when taken too far.
Who published the book?
Broadside published it in 2026.
Is the book controversial?
Yes. Critics at outlets such as The Bulwark and Jacobin have objected to it, while others have defended it.
Is it a psychology book?
It draws on psychology, but critics describe it mainly as a political polemic.
Is this summary an endorsement?
No. It presents the author's argument and the main objections.
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Get the book
If you want to read Saad's argument in full and judge it yourself, you can get a copy of Suicidal Empathy on Amazon.
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Disclosure: as an Amazon Associate, SummarBooks earns from qualifying purchases. If you buy through the links above, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This summary is an independent overview and does not replace reading the book. This is a politically contested book. The summary presents the author's arguments alongside the main objections, does not endorse either side, and is not psychological, medical or political advice.