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It was around 6:30 in the evening. The main road was crowded with cars, rickshaws, and bikes when suddenly the sound of screeching tires broke the evening’s silence. A speeding car had struck a motorcyclist, a man who looked to be in his thirties. His head struck the edge of the footpath with considerable force. Within minutes, a small crowd gathered. Phones came out, not to call for help but to record. Fear kept everyone frozen. “It will become a police case,” someone murmured. “Why get involved?” Others were in a hurry to be somewhere else. Eventually, a passerby called an ambulance, but by the time it arrived, the man had already lost his life. Life on the road continued as if nothing had happened. The next morning, the video was viral. People commented “so sad” and scrolled to the next post. Welcome to the age of numbness. How did we reach a point where the suffering of another human being barely stirs us? We are surrounded by wars, destruction, and tragedies, yet they barely touch us. Our time will be remembered not only for wars and destruction but also for the silence of those who could speak. Everything that happens has a cause and effect, and the quiet burial of empathy is not accidental.
This incident, reminding of the classic bystander effect, raises questions about whether contemporary social and technological dynamics amplify an inherent human tendency toward inaction. The bystander effect is a psychological phenomenon in which individuals often refrain from helping during an emergency, particularly when others are present, due to the belief that someone else will intervene or because they feel constrained by social pressure or fear. This situation invites reflection on how modern life may diminish responsiveness to the suffering of others.
This article discusses the decline of empathy in modern life and explores the causes and consequences of this transformation.
Neuroscience shows that empathy is rooted in the brain. When we see someone in pain or joy, certain brain regions activate as if we are experiencing it ourselves. This is due to mirror neurons, discovered by Giacomo Rizzolatti, which “mirror” the actions or emotions of others. For example, watching someone get hurt can trigger similar responses in our brain. This shows that empathy is biological, not just moral. However, social fragmentation, constant digital distractions, and overexposure to distressing content can weaken these natural responses. Understanding that empathy has a neurological basis highlights the need to nurture and protect it, especially in today’s emotionally numb society. Beyond its biological roots, empathy is also a learned and actionable skill. When we hear the word empathy, what comes to mind? Is it simply feeling sorry for someone, or is it something deeper that drives us to understand and share the emotions of others? Psychologists define empathy as going beyond simply understanding another person’s feelings. It involves genuine concern and a motivation to act in support of others. For instance, witnessing someone injured on the street and immediately calling an ambulance reflects empathy in practice. In the past, empathy was considered an inborn trait that could not be taught. However, research has shown that this essential human skill can be developed and strengthened like a muscle. Yet, as Roman Krznaric notes in his book Empathy and the Art of Life, “we cannot be truly empathetic toward strangers,” suggesting that empathy often requires a sense of connection or familiarity with others. There are several reasons why people today find it difficult to feel empathy toward strangers. Among the most significant are the loss of community, rapid social change, materialism, technology, polarization, and compassion fatigue. Even until the late twentieth century, people lived closely in small towns and knew their neighbors’ joys and sorrows. They were aware of each other’s struggles and shared both happiness and pain. However, modernization has weakened this sense of connection. Although we are more connected through phones and social media, we are rarely truly present for anyone.
A powerful example of genuine community and empathy can be seen in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions. The mosque was not merely a place of worship; it served as the center of social and communal life where people met, shared their concerns, helped one another, and strengthened their spiritual and emotional bonds. It united people and ensured that no one felt isolated. Today, this sense of community is fading, and even the mosque has become less connected to people’s everyday lives. Over time, people have become more focused on themselves and their own needs. The love of the world, this concept in Islam known as hubb-e-dunia (وھن), makes us think mostly about personal gain. When we only care about ourselves, we stop noticing the pain of others and the community becomes less close. As Khalifah tul-Ard (vicegerents on Earth), we carry the responsibility to protect and care for humanity. It is the duty of a khalifah to preserve life and promote compassion among people.The blessings Allah has given us are not for us to keep but to share with the world. Sayyiduna Huzayfah رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ has narrated that he once heard the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم say in his sermon, ‘The love of the world is the head of all sins.’(Mishkat-ul-Masabih, vol. 2, pp. 250, Hadees 5212).
Social Media, while connecting us globally, has quietly programmed our minds toward self-centeredness. On social media, for example, we may watch a brief clip of a suffering child and, moments later, laugh at a meme. These rapid emotional shifts cause the brain to develop protective numbness (Sontag, 1977). Research further confirms that repeated exposure to distressing content desensitizes emotional responses and weakens empathy (Slovic, 2007; Konrath, 2011). Empathy itself has turned into a form of online content measured through likes, shares, and emojis rather than genuine engagement. We rarely take the time to pause, reflect, and internalize what we witness; instead, we consume human suffering as fleeting digital entertainment.
Polarization has deeply divided Pakistani society, influencing both religion and politics. In many mosques, sermons reflect sectarian leanings instead of shared Islamic principles, while in politics, parties prioritize loyalty to their own groups over unity and justice. This mindset of giroh bandi (groupism) has created an “us versus them” culture, eroding collective empathy. People no longer see one another as part of a shared community but as opponents, and even political rivals can no longer empathize with each other’s struggles or perspectives. As a result of these divisions, society has become fragmented. Communities are now split along lines of class, sect, and political affiliation. This fragmentation has led to increasing loneliness, stress, and moral confusion. Moreover, it has eroded the foundation of trust. People no longer have faith in institutions such as the police or government, and in many cases, they do not even trust their neighbors. This breakdown of trust weakens the very social fabric that empathy once sustained.
The normalization of injustice is another alarming feature of contemporary society. Repeated exposure to violence, corruption, and inequality fosters indifference to moral wrongdoing. Silence in the face of injustice is often framed as social conformity, weakening the collective conscience and allowing oppression to continue unchallenged. When individuals choose silence over moral responsibility, society gradually loses its capacity for empathy, accountability, and moral courage, leading to the erosion of justice. The greatest tragedy of our age is not injustice itself but our silence in the face of it, the emotional numbness that represents the cost of our collective moral inattention.
In the end, these forces may form a self-reinforcing cycle:
Loss of community → Isolation and individualism → Weak empathy → Silence and desensitization → Polarization and mistrust → Normalization of injustice → Further loss of empathy.
This cycle may repeat, trapping society in a state of emotional numbness and moral confusion. However, it is not inevitable. Deliberate acts of awareness, participation in collective dialogue, and the exercise of moral courage can disrupt this cycle. Interventions such as fostering empathy, strengthening community bonds, and promoting education grounded in justice can serve as counter-forces, interrupting patterns of moral indifference and restoring emotional responsiveness within individuals and society.
References:
Krznaric, R. (2007). Empathy and the art of living. Oxford, UK: The Blackbird Collective. Retrieved from https://www.romankrznaric.com
Riess, H. (2017). The science of empathy. Journal of Patient Experience, 4(2), 74–77. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5513638/
Bloom, P. (2014, August 20). Against empathy. Boston Review. Retrieved from https://www.bostonreview.net/forum/paul-bloom-against-empathy
Camassa, M. (2024). On the Power and Limits of Empathy. Retrieved from https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/c950a525-20f2-4416-97ad-886eadb6ecf2/978-3-031-37522-4.pdf
Konrath, S. H., O’Brien, E. H., & Hsing, C. (2011). Changes in dispositional empathy in American college students over time: A meta-analysis; Slovic, P. (2007). If I look at the mass I will never act: Psychic numbing and genocide. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 15(2), 180–198; Judgment and Decision Making, 2(2), 79–95. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868310377395
