The Joe Rogan Experience The Joe Rogan Experience

#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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