#2497 - Gad Saad
May 12, 2026 · 2h 42m
Summary
Joe Rogan interviews Harun Meyrick, who discusses his new book, *Suicidal Empathy*, arguing that excessive empathy can hijack human cognition and survival instincts, akin to parasitic worms controlling insects. Meyrick shares his personal history as a Lebanese Jew who survived kidnapping during the civil war and explains his recent move to Oxford, Mississippi, as a visiting scholar. The conversation covers cultural relativism, the political nature of Islam versus Judaism, and critiques of Western foreign policy regarding Iran and Israel.
Topics discussed
Introduction and guest background
Parasitic ideas and the science of empathy
Sponsored segments: Creatine, dog food, and shipping
Blank slate felons and cultural relativism
Sponsored segment and suicidal empathy
Guest's family history in Lebanon and Islamism
Sponsored segments: Visible and LifeLock
US foreign policy, Israel, and Iran
Dictators, Gaddafi, and the Zionist lobby
Sponsored segment: Squarespace
Israel in the Middle East and anti-Semitism
Sponsored segment: ZipRecruiter
Psychology, Tiger Moms, and university funding
October 7th, Gaza, and moral calculus
Sponsored segments: Tremfya and Duluth
Existential threats, immigration, and conclusion
Final sponsored segments and sign-off
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