Charlie Kirk on Empathy

Do Charlie Kirk’s opinions on empathy excuse not having any compassion towards him, his family, or his supports? Does it make us bad people for saying that Charlie Kirk was a good man?

Claim: “Charlie Kirk said ‘I can’t stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up new age term that does a lot of damage but is very effective when it comes to politics.’ Therefore, he was a bad person; and not only am I not going to show him no empathy, but if anyone does, they are also bad people and deserve no empathy.”

The question we need to ask people making this claim is: Do you think you are giving Charlie a fair hearing? And do you think that his views on empathy excuse the hatred for him and those celebrating his death?

Let’s get our facts straight.

The original video this quote comes from is this video, starting a little after 36 minutes in. Charlie Kirk is talking about the Democrats new strategy when they were tanking in the 2022 polls.

The new communication strategy is not to do what Bill Clinton used to do, which is to say “I feel your pain.” Instead it is to say you’re actually not in pain. Bill Clinton in the 1990s, it was all about empathy and sympathy. I can’t stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up new age term that does a lot of damage, but it is very effective when it comes to politics. Sympathy, I prefer more than empathy. That’s a separate topic for a different time.

Charlie Kirk, October 12, 2022

After this, Charlie moves on to what he was saying about Bill Clinton.

First, if you were sitting across from a friend, and in the middle of a conversation they made an off-the-cuff comment about how they think empathy is bad and that they think sympathy is much better, what would you do? Would you shout in their face that they were evil, or would you ask them to explain what they meant? I think it’s fair to say that judging Charlie’s view of empathy off of this unplanned comment is the wrong approach.

Second, Charlie also said that he “prefers sympathy.” He’s not saying he is a heartless wretch with no humanity in his soul. So, don’t you agree, that it’s not fair to say that he was a completely bad person when he says that he prefers sympathy?

So, what did Charlie think about empathy?

This tweet is from October 13, 2024.

Remember the viral video a year ago where two teenagers intentionally murdered a cyclist in Las Vegas by running him over with a stolen car while recording the whole thing?

A liberal judge, a former public defender who says “empathy” is a crucial trait for a judge, just ruled that one of the killers doesn’t have to stand trial.

Outrageous.

I remember that video very well. It was horrific.

Is it fair to say that this is a valid critic of “empathy?” If lady justice takes off her blindfold in the name of empathy, with the result that no justice is done for killers, is that good?

In this tweet, Charlie Kirk posts a video from Allie Beth Stuckey.

Allie Beth Stuckey demolishes the number-one psychological trick of the left:

“Toxic empathy is the primary tool of persuasion used by progressives to manipulate well-meaning Christians. They use toxic empathy by employing our language, our Bible verses, our concepts, and then pervert them to morally extort us into adopting their position.”

I think a lot of this is going on right now. If your reaction to Charlie’s assassination was to go looking for quotes that excused you from making any compassionate remarks, and gives you a reason for telling others that they are bad people for supporting Charlie and his family, then you need to repent.

For my part, I see nothing wrong with Charlie said. His preference for sympathy over empathy makes sense when you give him a fair hearing and see the situations he applied his views to.

Therefore, we make no apology.

More posts to come.

Here is a video of me reading and commenting on this post: https://youtu.be/yGqjWUXhOy0?si=-jUabdVwJ8BeF6Yk