Ideas that travel faster than their evidence

“Suicidal empathy” is a phrase coined by Gad Saad, a Canadian marketing professor at Concordia University, and the title of his book Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind (Broadside Books, HarperCollins, 12 May 2026) [1][2]. As quoted on Wikipedia, Saad defines it as the “inability to implement optimal decisions when one is psychologically conditioned to prioritize empathy or displays of empathy over a rational course of action” [1]; the definition is quoted from secondary sources. He applies it mainly to policy toward migrants and minorities, at the expense of the safety of one’s own group; that is the author’s position, not a finding [1][3]. It is not a clinical diagnosis and does not appear as a term in peer-reviewed research [4].

A 2026 review of the literature defines toxic positivity as a socially imposed norm to show happiness in any situation and to dismiss negative emotions [4]. By that definition it is not hope, humour or support as such; this is a reading of the definition, not a finding from data. Research on the term itself is still thin; most evidence comes from wider studies of how people handle emotions.

Collective narcissism is defined as "an emotional investment in an unrealistic belief about the in group's greatness" [1]. It is a belief about one's group, measured by a self-report scale, not a personality diagnosis. It is also not the same as any pride in one's group: the research separates it from in-group satisfaction and secure identification, as shown below.