[June 25, 2025] In an interview a few days ago, Professor Gad Saad was interviewed by Spiked’s Fred Myers about what’s gone wrong in the West and how we can confront anti-Semitism. I found his insights helpful, and they are highlighted here, as he discusses ideological brain worms.
Saad witnessed a similar surge in anti-Semitism when he was growing up in Lebanon in the 1970s.
As an important note, Saad is the author of The Parasitic Mind, which I may report on at a later date. Ideas in his book are relevant because he points to the many destructive ideologies parading as freedom and compassion, and lifting those who believe in it to a level of false moral superiority.
“In The Parasitic Mind, I’m trying to demonstrate that Jew hatred is not something that just arose as part of the [Lebanese] civil war.” — Gad Saad
Saad sees similarities between Lebanon in the 1970s and what is happening in Canada today, where he now lives. He describes bad ideas like anti-Semitism and Wokeness as ‘infectious’ and ‘parasitic.’
His studies in the field of parasitology looked at the interactions of host-parasite. Saad compares those ideas about physical parasites to ideological brain worms.
“That was my ‘eureka’ moment. I decided to take that framework and argue that human beings can be parasitised not only by physical brain worms but also by ideological brain worms.”
Saad introduces the concept of ‘suicidal empathy.’ He notes that empathy is a beneficial virtue, but it can misfire and uses the example of MS-13 gang members. If I’m more empathetic to those gang members, then that’s suicidal empathy.
Pushing back on these parasitic ideas is a challenge.
“I do think that with enough repetition, you can get people to move away from their cherished, anchored, sacred cows. But as someone who has spent his career trying to understand how people think, it’s very, very difficult to do so.”
Many of these parasitic ideologies that are rampaging through the West have taken 50 years or more to flourish and become embedded into our cultural ideas.
“The virus hasn’t yet ceased to exist. There will be a culture war. But I’d like to think that it won’t take another 50 to 80 years to win the battle.”
In an article in Spiked from June 11th, Saad directly attacks Woke ideology. He explains that Woke claims of systemic oppression in the West are easily disproven. He says this particular ideology is irrational and dangerous. Ironically, the mind viruses in the well-educated show that they are especially vulnerable to these infectious ideas.
————
Please read my books:
What are our tools to fight this. Brainpower? We need more than that.
A home run with this idea about ideological brain worms.
The more I read about the “deep state” and how easy it is to propagandize the average American citizen, especially the weak minded Leftists and dumb young women, more more I’m scared for our country. Some have suggested – and will never happen – but take away women’s right to vote. Indeed, that would fix the world.
Hard to argue with that, unless I’m a progressive, ignorant woman.
This will never happen and we all know it. Even it taking away women’s right to vote could be proven to work and make our country better, which we don’t know that, it would never happen becuase it is politically unacceptable. So, let’s look for a better and more pragmatic solution. The first thing I can think of is that we never allow this brain worm to get into the heads of our kids. This means more oversight by good, moral folks in classrooms across the nation. It’s fairly easy to find these progressive teachers who teach LGBTQ+ immoral behavior because they advertise themselves constantly. The problem, oftentimes, is the Principle and Vice Ps are nuts too.
As we celebrated yesterday on the 75th anniversary of the start of the Korean War – the so-called Forgotten War – we should take note of a growing ideological movement that blames all the world’s ills on the West’s Christianity and capitalism. Despite absolute proof that the world has advanced more on all categories with Christianity and Capitalism, many political Leftists deny this reality and themselves being weak, feminine, ignorant, and evil, they will actually try to destroy the West. How crazy is that? Fortunately, it looks like common sense and the rule of law is returning to America and a few Eastern European nations. Sadly, many are slipping into third-world nation status because they’ve turned their countries over to the evils of Islam.
Plenty of Brian worms in their brains. 👏👏👏👏. Great comment Ken.
SO VERY TRUE
I do think that with enough repetition, you can get people to move away from their cherished, anchored, sacred cows. But as someone who has spent his career trying to understand how people think, it’s very, very difficult to do so.” – Professor Gad Saad
Yep, good representative quote.
This is a good way to describe the Woke ideology. It makes the Germans into super heroes.
Mr. Sparky should make an appearance at the protests. That will get their attention. Nothing like a little burnt hair fron when I went to school and learned nothing of value or that I would ever need. 👀👀👀👀👀
I know plenty of these Libtards and they are justbnuts. I can see why Prof. Saad writes that all, these college-educated, but inexperienced nut jobs are out on the streets “protesting” – actually committing violent acts. Why doesn’t Pam Bondi, head of the Department of Justice do something about it? High? Hugh, somebody tell me.
Blunt, candid, truthful and funny. That’s how we begin to kill this mind virus that infects the weak and the stupid equally. Or, to correct myself, it infects the smartest among us. I guess the reason is that smart people have been attacked so much lately that having “compassion” is their way of proving their worth to the mob. Then the Woke grows on its own, taking logic out of the equation and reducing people to memes. Now, Gen. Satterfield had a few Sundays with memes and I found them funny but not much developing good, quality education when you are doing this distractive kind of behavior. Thanks, sir, for allowing me to rant. Smiles for everyone.
Who woulda thunk the highly educated are the most susceptible? Duh! 🤮
Because that is where the mind virus grew quickest and strongest. They have zero morality which is the antidote to ideological brain worms.
I got a good laugh out of this one as Dr. Saad describe Liberal Retards (and that is what they are) as having Ideological Brian Worms. This is just crazy. Thanks to Gen. Satterfield for making all this possible.
Professor Saad is one of those people you will want to listen to. He is smart and articulate. He also communicates well, a trait that most college professors do not have. Read his books also. I check them out of my local library.