What happens when empathy becomes ideology—and reason takes a back seat to feelings?
That’s the central question author and cultural commentator Elizabeth Grace Matthew explores in her recent Hill piece on toxic femininity, and she joined Chicago’s Morning Answer with Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson to unpack the ideas behind it.
The conversation began with Jane Fonda’s recent appearance at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, where the Hollywood veteran used her acceptance speech to champion empathy—not just as a personal virtue, but as a political identity. Fonda’s remarks tapped into a broader cultural trend: a belief that feeling for others, especially the marginalized, is automatically virtuous—regardless of context, consequences, or logic.
Matthew explained that while empathy itself is not inherently bad—in fact, it can be a powerful force for good—it becomes problematic when deployed without discipline or discernment. She described this as a kind of ideological empathy, most often expressed through leftist political activism, where emotion trumps structure, and symbolism replaces substance.
This has real-world consequences, particularly in areas like education, public safety, and women’s sports. The interview touched on policies like eliminating standardized testing and weakening school discipline in the name of equity—decisions that often hurt the very students they’re meant to help. Similarly, allowing biological males to compete in women’s athletics under the banner of inclusion may feel empathetic to some, but it also undermines fairness and safety for female athletes.
Matthew compared this mode of thinking to what’s often called toxic masculinity—but in reverse. Where toxic masculinity might glorify uncontrolled aggression, toxic femininity elevates empathy to the point of absurdity. In both cases, an otherwise neutral or even positive trait becomes destructive when unmoored from accountability and common sense.
Ultimately, the conversation called for a return to adult womanhood: the ability to empathize and reason, to care and confront hard truths. Real compassion, as Matthew argued, requires boundaries. And leadership—whether in homes, classrooms, or communities—means choosing policies that work, not just those that make us feel good.
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