Both Elon Musk and Christian nationalists call empathy "toxic," "suicidal," and even "satanic."
But what they're really worried about is that empathy is *feminine*.
And in MAGA, a woman is the worst thing a person can be. An analysis.
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/11/magas-on-empathy-exposes-misogynist-fears/
"endless rounds of media hand-wringing about the loneliness epidemic among men"
- @AmandaMarcotte
Why on earth should these men who claim that empathy is bad expect anyone to feel empathy for men who are lonely?
If empathy is wrong, then no one should care that men are lonely. Being concerned about men's loneliness is a form of empathy after all.
Because this stuff is also generally not "X is bad" but rather a hierarchical "X for me fine, X for others lower in ther hierarchy is bad."
It is fine and expected for women to have empathy for men, that is part of them being lower in the hierarchy. But, as the article discusses, this justifies for men to not need to have empathy, because that would be lowering themselves below their place in the hierarchy.
Amanda Marcotte
Zhi Zhu 🕸️
Dianne Hackborn