Shadowing Practice: Suicidal Empathy | 5-Minute Videos | PragerU - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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How do civilizations die?
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How do civilizations die?
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The great British historian Arnold Toynbee asked himself this question.
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Here is his answer.
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They die not by murder, but by suicide.
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We in the West, the inheritors of the greatest civilization ever created,
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are witnessing this right before our very eyes.
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I call this phenomenon suicidal empathy.
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As an evolutionary behavioral scientist,
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I believe empathy is a noble virtue and a central feature of our humanity.
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The Oxford Dictionary defines empathy as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
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It sounds great, and often is,
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especially when you're empathetic toward the people close to you,
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your spouse, your children, your friends.
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But empathy can lead us astray.
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When empathy serves as the only filter for decision-making,
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replacing a rational and adaptive calculus of prudence,
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discernment and justice, empathy can cause great harm.
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In fact, it can be fatal.
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The serial killer, Ted Bundy,
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used empathy to lure women to their violent deaths.
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He would pretend to be injured,
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sometimes with a fake sling or cast on his arm.
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He would ask his soon-to-be victim for help loading items into his car,
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and then, when they turned their back, he would strike.
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Bundy killed through exploiting the natural proclivity to be empathetic.
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Suicidal empathy endangers not just well-meaning individuals.
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It threatens entire societies, indeed all of Western civilization.
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Let's look at a couple of general and then more specific examples.
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Mass immigration.
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In 2015, the Chancellor of Germany,
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Angela Merkel, instituted an open-door immigration policy,
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especially for Muslim migrants, most of whom had no intention of assimilating into their host societies.
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Perhaps her suicidal empathy toward migrants was meant as penance for her country's crimes against humanity.
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But a decade later, Germany,
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as well as most of Europe,
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nearly all of whom have followed Merkel's example,
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is dealing with the consequences.
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Vastly increased rates of rape, murder, and social disintegration.
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Defund the police.
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In the wake of the death of drug-addicted felon George Floyd in May 2020,
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an idea arose, namely that a racist police system was murdering innocent people of color.
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Though this was easily refuted by the actual data,
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suicidally empathetic mayors and city councils in places like Los Angeles,
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San Francisco, and Philadelphia cut their police budgets.
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Who suffered?
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The very people who were supposed to be protected.
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Let's look at a few specific cases of suicidal empathy.
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Canadian-born Omar Khadr joined the Taliban and murdered an American soldier in Afghanistan.
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The U.S gave him a 40-year sentence,
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but turned him over to Canadian authorities after 10 years at Guantanamo Bay.
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Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government,
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which suffered from stage 4 suicidal empathy,
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gave Qatar $8 million and apologized for his detention.
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The University of Minnesota Twin Cities Medical School required the class of 2026 to pledge their support for diversity,
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equity, and inclusion, not to mention honoring all indigenous ways of healing that have been historically marginalized by Western medicine.
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Because as they wheel you into the operating room,
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what you really want to know is
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that your surgeon who got there for some reason other than
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merit is up on how the local tribes handled medical problems 500 years ago.
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Under the Biden White House,
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the Federal Aviation Administration implemented a recruitment program for people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities.
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Imagine how safe you'll feel when that woke logic reaches the cockpit.
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No society can long survive such an explosion of suicidal empathy.
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Is there a cure?
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Yes, but first we must understand where this madness comes from.
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Suicidal empathy is driven by misplaced guilt.
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The suicidally empathetic person feels guilty for being born in the prosperous, free West.
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We might call this privilege guilt,
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a common affliction among Westerners,
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especially affluent, highly educated ones.
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To inoculate yourself against this parasitic idea,
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you must take at the very least these three actions.
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First, never shut off your rational mind.
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Suicidal empathy tries to override your capacity for reason.
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It hijacks your desire to be kind,
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misdirects it to the wrong recipient in the wrong amount,
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and in so doing, harms you and others.
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Second, always ask, what happens next?
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Cause and effect is an immutable law.
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Actions have consequences, sometimes very bad ones.
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Third, don't be tolerant of all viewpoints.
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Not everything is as good as everything else.
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Some ideas are better than others.
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Some cultures are better than others.
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Some religions are more peaceful than others.
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These actions were once the default operating system for nearly everyone born in the West.
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Now, they are a matter of civilizational survival.
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The good news is this.
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Suicide is a choice.
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The West still has time to save itself, but not much.
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I'm Gad Saad, author of Suicidal Empathy,
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Dying to be Kind, for Prager University.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with the video, "Suicidal Empathy," provides a rich context for English learners to practice their speaking skills. By using the shadowing technique, learners can imitate the speaker's intonation, pace, and pronunciation, which is crucial for mastering conversational English. The video discusses complex themes concerning empathy and societal implications, offering vocabulary that is not only relevant but also intellectually stimulating. This context enables learners to practice speaking about nuanced topics, which can be beneficial for advanced learners preparing for exams like the IELTS speaking test. Practicing with this video means that you will expand your vocabulary and improve your ability to articulate sophisticated ideas in English.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the video, various grammatical structures are highlighted that can enhance your speaking. Here are a few key examples:

  • Conditional sentences: Phrases like "if empathy serves as the only filter for decision-making" illustrate how to use conditional structures to discuss hypothetical scenarios.
  • Passive voice: The use of the passive voice in "Germany... is dealing with the consequences" emphasizes actions rather than subjects. This is particularly useful for formal speaking contexts.
  • Complex sentences: The speaker frequently uses complex sentences to convey detailed thoughts, such as “But empathy can lead us astray.” This structure can help learners express detailed opinions and analyses in their conversations.
  • Descriptive adjectives: Words like "noble," "fatal," and "vastly increased" provide richer vocabulary choices which are essential for academic writing and speaking.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice speaking along with the video, pay special attention to these pronunciation pitfalls:

  • Empathy: This word can be tricky. It is pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable: em-PATH-y.
  • Consequences: It’s easy to rush through this word. Remember to clearly articulate all four syllables: con-se-quen-ces.
  • Suicidal: Be cautious with this word. The emphasis is on the third syllable: sui-CI-dal.
  • Murder: Ensure that the "r" sound is pronounced correctly; many learners tend to soften it, leading to misunderstandings.

Using these insights from the video can significantly boost your confidence in speaking English. Incorporate these practices into your routine by regularly learning English with YouTube videos and utilizing the shadow speech method to refine your skills further. Doing so will prepare you for situations requiring quick thinking and articulate speech, especially in high-stakes environments like the IELTS speaking test.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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