Honestly, this sounds to me like something a sociopath would say, which is why I don’t buy it when these people are using the ‘full context’ defence here.

The difference between empathy and sympathy is subtle, yet important, and (I think) exposes that he was a sociopath.

I’m not sure how to explain what I mean other than that sympathy is passive whilst empathy is active. Sympathy exists at arms length, whilst empathy is truly felt. Or, perhaps, sympathy is cerebral whilst empathy is emotional.

Does that make sense? I think sociopaths can understand sympathy, and maybe can tell themselves they ‘feel’ it, but empathy is a foreign concept – and in Charlie Kirk’s mind, a weakness.

So, for me, the context actually makes this quote worse.

Context: https://bsky.app/profile/lillypip.bsky.social/post/3lyo2aq7qy22l