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🇮🇱 Israel /Culture & Society

Western Collective Stockholm Syndrome: Empathizing With Those Who Threaten It

From Jerusalem Post · (4m ago) English Critical tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Jerusalem Post posits that the West is exhibiting a collective 'Stockholm Syndrome,' where fear of ideological adversaries is reframed into sympathy and identification with them.
  • This phenomenon, exacerbated by events like 9/11, prevents a rational assessment of threats, as the West convinces itself that empathy is the only honest response.
  • The article argues that this self-deceptive mindset makes the West vulnerable, as it reframes the danger rather than confronting it directly.

The Jerusalem Post argues that the West is suffering from a collective 'Stockholm Syndrome,' a dangerous psychological state where fear of ideological adversaries is transformed into sympathy and identification with them. This phenomenon, amplified by events such as the September 11th attacks, prevents a clear-eyed assessment of threats, leading the West to believe that empathy is the only 'honest' response, even when faced with those who explicitly reject its values.

The phenomenon now bears the name of that city. Stockholm Syndrome is the psychological mechanism by which the human mind, when faced with a threat it believes it cannot overcome, converts terror into sympathy, helplessness into loyalty, and survival instinct into identification with the aggressor.

— Max RadfordDefining Stockholm Syndrome and its core psychological processes.

This 'syndrome' is characterized by a reframing of the threat, where the aggressor's willingness to inflict harm is misinterpreted as a grievance that requires understanding. The Jerusalem Post highlights that this is not a conscious choice but a deep-seated psychological mechanism where weakness masquerades as courage. The West, in its attempt to appear enlightened, has become susceptible to this self-deception, making it difficult to counter the very forces that seek to undermine it.

What happened in Stockholm over six days, the West has been doing, collectively, gradually, and largely without acknowledgement for the better part of three decades.

— Max RadfordDrawing a parallel between the historical event and the West's ongoing response to threats.

From the perspective of The Jerusalem Post, this collective delusion is particularly concerning because it paralyzes the West's ability to respond effectively to existential threats. By prioritizing empathy over self-preservation and reframing the danger rather than confronting it, the West risks becoming complicit in its own potential undoing. The article serves as a stark warning against this psychological trap, urging a return to rational analysis and a firm stance against those who pose a clear and present danger.

This is not weakness performing as courage. It is weakness that has genuinely come to believe it is courage.

— Max RadfordExplaining the self-deceptive nature of the 'Stockholm Syndrome' response.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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