this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2025
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“The fundamental weakness is empathy,” Musk recently told radio podcast host Joe Rogan. “There is a bug, which is the empathy response.”

As Musk has established himself as at least the second most powerful person in an administration seeking a wholesale remaking of institutions, rules and norms, what he said matters, because it encapsulates a political plan. What the Project 2025 report set out in over 900 turgid pages, Musk’s remark captures in a simple pithy mantra for the social media age.

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[–] glitchdx@lemmy.world 35 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Empathy is a skill and he doesn't have it.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 13 points 15 hours ago (3 children)

It's a useful skill if you're trying to cultivate a popular following. The funny thing is that he used to have it and was quite good at feeling people out for a popular vibe. Now he's too ketted out to feel anything. Just a rolling ball of Id, bouncing between hungry, cranky, and horny.

[–] tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip 7 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

I wonder if he was ever good at it, or if before he got a pass on being a weird guy because his goals seemed positive (save the planet, push tech forward). Now that he's fixated on manosphere/nazi shit, more people are less willing to overlook his idiosyncrasies.

[–] Hazor@lemmy.world 6 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

Some such people are really good at pretending to have empathy. I used to be with a narcissist who was a nurse. She could put on a good face, but in actuality she just got off on the sense of power over people who needed her help. In areas where being an awful person didn't threaten her job security, she had zero qualms about hurting or taking advantage of others, and she did so without hesitation when she felt it would benefit her.

[–] exonode@lemm.ee 4 points 15 hours ago (3 children)

Empathy is an ability not a skill. It's not a mundane tool to get what you want.

[–] gloriousspearfish 5 points 15 hours ago

It is a inbuilt limit that prevents (most of us) from doing harm to our fellow humans, and to shun from society those that do. It is the very core of why humanity has reached the modern society with a high quality of life.

[–] glitchdx@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago

you're right, it's not a tool to get what you want

it's a tool to not be a horrible person

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago

Plenty of conmen and torturers can tell you differently. Whether your soul can bear the burden of your actions is far removed from what you can accomplish with your abilities.

[–] 60d@lemmy.ca 4 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

He's gone too far with special k and needs to come back. Many such cases observed in the scene during my youth.

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 1 points 4 hours ago

i think he also downs alcohol and cocaine as well, given his sudden increase in energy from time to time.

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 6 points 14 hours ago

There are a lot of skills he doesn’t have.