Gad Saad urges ordinary people to stop being bystanders in the battle of ideas and to boldly defend reason, truth, and Western values against the spread of “idea pathogens” like woke ideology and political correctness.

Let me begin with a disclaimer: If you know anything about Gad Saad—and about me—you might be thinking, ‘OK, Bill is offering a review of Saad’s brand-new book, Toxic Empathy: Dying to Be Kind. Well, I certainly plan on doing just that, but it will be another month before the book is released and the copy that I preordered arrives from America.

So here I do what might be second-best: encourage you to look out for his new volume while reminding you of one of his other key works. I refer to his important volume released earlier this decade, The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense (Regnery, 2020, 2021).

That volume is well worth being aware of if you have not yet read it. The Lebanese-born, Canadian-based psychologist, professor and writer has been leading the charge against our PC and woke culture. In the Preface he says this:

Some people are truly irredeemably clueless. They post comments attacking me for criticizing the SJW (social justice warrior) mindset instead of supposedly tackling “important” matters. Yes, because having a set of idea pathogens take complete control over the minds and souls of millions of people in academia, government, companies, the media, and the general society in a manner that is akin to religious superstitious dogma is “unimportant.”…That at times I use satire, sarcasm, and humour to battle against the enemies of reason should not detract you from understanding how serious this battle is. (xiv)

It should be noted that in recent years he has come out much more antagonistically toward political Islam while defending his own Jewish heritage. He calls himself ‘culturally Jewish’. As to this book, however, I simply want to share a few quotes from Chapter 8: “Call to Action”. He begins by reminding us that we ALL have a role to play in defending that which needs defending:

All things being equal, whether you are talking about a military conflict or the battle of ideas, it is generally better to have a large army than a small one. The more people we have defending our core values, the more likely we are to triumph against the enemies of reason. And yet, countless persons who share our values fail to speak out. The reasons are manifold.

Most people are too busy to notice the dangers of idea pathogens or wrongly assume that they are unimportant. The intrusion of anti-science, anti-reason, and illiberal movements occurs slowly and incrementally without many people becoming aware of the larger problem. Hence, the slow and inexorable death of the West by a thousand cuts. Instead of ignoring the problem, recognize that while it affects others today, it could reach you tomorrow. You may not have children in college, but if you work for a firm or are perhaps a business owner, campus lunacy will affect your business soon—if it does not already—perhaps starting with your human resources department and the enforcement of “progressive” government regulations that demand adherence to the cult of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Parts of Europe already have sharia enclaves that are no-go areas for infidels (and the police). You might not have them in your city yet, but your nation’s immigration policies (and Ostrich Parasitic Syndrome) might bring no-go areas sooner rather than later.

Another reason people are reluctant to join the battle of ideas is what we call “diffusion of responsibility” or “the bystander effect.” In the late 1960s, psychologists John Darley and Bibb Latane documented what at first glance seems counterintuitive. The greater the number of people present, the less likely an individual is to help someone in need because it is easier to rationalize that someone else will do it. It is easy to diffuse responsibility to others who are willing to stick their necks out: “Thank you, Dr. Saad, for standing up on our behalf. I really support your efforts. You got this.” No, I don’t. Everybody has a voice. Activate your sense of personal responsibility. You have agency. Participate. Do not be a bystander as truth, reason, and logic call out for your help. Do not subcontract your voice to others. Do not self-censor. You and your children have a stake in the outcome of this battle, so don’t be afraid to speak up. (pp. 171-172)

As someone who has long been on the front lines in the culture wars, I can say a hearty ‘amen’ to that! Often people would tell me, ‘We are right behind you.’ I was always tempted to say, ‘I wish you were here with me rather than way back there!’

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