Mastodawn

Harry Beard Nov 3

“In my work with the (Nuremberg Trial) defendants, I was searching for the nature of evil, and I now think I have come close to defining it. A lack of empathy ... a genuine incapacity to feel with their fellow men. Evil, I think, is the absence of empathy.”

Captain G.M. Gilbert, US Army

@Natasha_Jay If someone says Melon Usk is not nazi or at least far right, it should be enough to remember that this phrase of his was a preferred one by the nazi leaders.

Reiner Jung 🇬🇱 🇺🇦 🇪🇺Nov 2

@hgfernan @Natasha_Jay well, isn't there a saying with a duck that describes this very well.

That's right, @prefec2 !@Natasha_Jay

It's called duck typing in programming: if walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck.

Medea Vanamonde 🏳️‍⚧️Nov 2

@Natasha_Jay @Elodie_lyra

“Elon Musk is Weakness Incarnate”
—Me, right now

Reiner Jung 🇬🇱 🇺🇦 🇪🇺Nov 2

@Natasha_Jay I've reposted that a couple of times over the last few days. And I will continue doing so, as it very much is needed in these times.

I really wish people would stop harping on this. Empathy isn't all that great, but it's not all that terrible, and you're elevating some dumb rich fuck to be a great pillar of philosophy. Why does it matter what he said?

Also barbarism is a very xenophobic way of thinking. No one should be concerned about barbarism, barbarians, savages, or negroes, unless you believe that some people are born to be slaves.

John Ward Nov 2

@Natasha_Jay “Musk is weakness” - everyone with empathy

Jörn Nettingsmeier Nov 2

@Natasha_Jay Done.

Sensitivityi Nov 2

@Natasha_Jay ugh I should be surprised any person could be evil enough to say empathy is what’s wrong with our society. Sadly I am not.

Lulu 🍉 לולו Nov 2

The strength whose loss Musk bemoans is what Arendt calls barbarism. I think they both observed correctly that Western society is becoming increasingly unempathetic and fascistic. Their only disagreement is whether it's a good thing or a bad thing.

@Natasha_Jay Taking on extra concerns is inherently a liability in the way it expands the attack surface you display to the world. There are more ways to hurt you if you care about more things.

So they can both be true; the real question is whether you believe barbarism is a desirable state.

@Natasha_Jay @gimulnautti

Simon Zerafa (Status:

I'm with Hannah 😌🖖

Lats (314 ppm)Nov 2

@Natasha_Jay the lack of empathy is one of the signs of psychopathy. There a lot of that going on in government and business leadership at the moment.

@Natasha_Jay Some people on the Internet seem to say they have not found the origin of this quote and while I have found this quotation from dozens of places none of them gives the source.

EG. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/books/review/empathy-paul-bloom-joe-rigney-hannah-arendt-allie-beth-stuckey.html

The Politics of the War on Empathy

It was once considered a virtue. Why do some people now think it’s a bad thing?

The New York Times

Daniël Klabbers Nov 3

I told you once that I was searching for the nature of evil. I think I’ve come close to defining it: a lack of empathy. It’s the one characteristic that connects all the defendants. A genuine incapacity to feel with their fellow man. Evil, I think, is the absence of empathy.

G. M. Gilbert

Daniël Klabbers Nov 4

@Natasha_Jay powerful isn't it ✌️

Forever, caring about the caring and needy.
- Empath

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/apr/08/empathy-sin-christian-right-musk-trump

Loathe thy neighbor: Elon Musk and the Christian right are waging war on empathy

Trump’s actions are irreconcilable with Christian compassion. But an unholy alliance seeks to cast empathy as a parasitic plague

The Guardian

@Natasha_Jay according to snopes (no particular value, just first search hit):

"I believe in empathy, like, I think you should care about other people", Musk said on Joe Rogan's podcast, "but you need to have empathy for, for civilization as a whole, and not commit to a civilization suicide."

Now, IIRC, this referred to supporting just any fringe/questionable beliefs at the cost of its whole civilization.

So Musk most definitely encourages empathy.