How can someone be a monster — a brutal dictator, a mass murderer, a serial killer — and up close seem like a decent, caring person? In this hour, we tackle a complicated question: what happens when our moral categories fail and we find ourselves feeling empathy for monsters? Is that wrong? And what does it say about us?

Original Air Date: January 20, 2018

Guests: 

Will Bardenwepper — Adam Rogerson — Paul Beatty — Åsne Seierstad — Chuck Klosterman — Joshua Landy — Michael Tisserand

Interviews In This Hour: 

The American Guards Who Kept Saddam Hussein Safe Until His Execution — Paul Beatty on 'The Nazi and the Barber' — What Can Americans Learn from a Norwegian Massacre? — Your Archenemy Turned Out To Be a Hero. Now What? — Can Literature Make You More Empathetic? — Michael Tisserand on 'My Friend Dahmer'

Further Reading:

"Making Peace With Monsters" podcast extra about the making of the film version of "My Friend Dahmer" 

Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast.

Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.