18th September 2026
Whilst in the living room of my family home in Lebanon the ground beneath my feet began shaking. It is no shock that political instability remains prevalent in a high-risk region -thus with the explosive sounds that followed in the distance, it wasn’t hard to fathom that an explosion had occurred.
However, this his piece is not a diary of my feelings or a regurgitation of what’s already been in the media. Instead, it serves as a recognition of privilege as well as a reminder of the significance of desensitization.
My grandmas’ words that followed in Arabic, translated to “This is nothing out of the ordinary, it’s fine and has come from far away”.
Suddenly I felt what could only be termed as ‘compassion fatigue’- a gradual weakening of empathy that occurs when repeatedly exposed to trauma and crises. Something the Lebanese people are unfortunately very accustomed to.
Whilst engrained in our culture is pride and strength, unfortunately so is acceptance.
This is not acceptance of the political climate – as that remains heavily contested. Rather, it’s an acceptance of the reality that has been systematically distorted.
Thus, desensitization functions less as a passive verb but rather an active political weapon to induce emotional exhaustion, lower public resistance and paralyze civic action with Mona Yacoubian labelling this ‘conflict fatigue’ . This describes when a country is constantly viewed as being “on the brink” whether it be of war, collapse or instability.
However, it is crucial to first acknowledge that desensitization (according to Merriam-Webster) at its root can be broken down and understood by its two effects:
1) to make (a sensitized or hypersensitive individual) insensitive or nonreactive to a sensitising agent
2)to extinguish an emotional response (as of fear or anxiety or guilt) to stimuli that formerly induced it
The first notes the difference between someone being sensitive to information, images, or news that would have provoked more of a response whilst the second uses the term ‘extinguish’ which occurs to bring that reality about.
However, the apathetic attitude toward violence in society (which research has confirmed emerges from vicarious experience of violence which reduces the intensity of negative emotions), in my opinion, should also be analysed in relation:
- How accessible it is to politically participate in the country at hand
- Whether when citizens exercise their political rights through passive or active methods, they truly have the capacity to influence political decision makers as well as legislative bodies.
Psychological effects
Often overlooked in public discourse is the psychological adaptation that accompanies prolonged exposure to violence and instability.
The Beirut port explosion provides a stark example: years after the blast, victims and their families continue to await meaningful accountability, despite the investigation having resumed in 2025. The significance of this extends beyond the absence of justice itself. When catastrophic events are repeatedly followed by institutional inaction, the absence of accountability can become normalised alongside the violence.
Desensitisation therefore risks extending beyond an extinguished emotional response to suffering; it can also diminish expectations that institutions will provide justice.
In this sense, psychological adaptation can contribute to political complacency, as repeated disappointment makes inaction appear inevitable rather than exceptional.
How can we protect from desensitisation?
The first step in resisting desensitisation is to recognise that the numbers presented to us, taking the form of death tolls, civilians injured, and buildings destroyed, represent individual lives.
We should see names, not numbers and buildings not simply as structures, but as homes, schools and shared spaces filled with families and communities. Here, the greatest threat is erasure.
The Democratic Erosion Consortium captures this problem particularly well. It argues that headlines such as “Palestinian Death Toll Passes 64,000” can momentarily shock us, before becoming another statistic within an overwhelming stream of tragedy. The problem is therefore not simply whether people care, but whether constant exposure to suffering leaves people feeling that their response can change anything.
This makes education and civic participation important tools against desensitisation. Education allows individuals to move beyond consuming isolated images or headlines and understand the political structures underlying them.
Civic participation then provides a means of translating that understanding into action- whether through voting, protest, organising, advocacy or consumer choices.
Boycotts demonstrate how individual choices can become collective political expression. Their effectiveness varies considerably depending on the target, scale and circumstances, but they can create economic and reputational pressure while signalling public opposition.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott remains a prominent historical example of consumer action forming part of a wider civil-rights movement.
More recently, boycotts connected to the war in Gaza have affected several major Western brands in Middle Eastern and other Muslim-majority markets. McDonald’s, for example, reported a “meaningful” business impact in several markets, while in 2024 it announced that it would acquire its Israeli franchise, consisting of 225 restaurants, following widespread boycott campaigns after the franchisee provided free meals to the IDF.
This does not mean that boycotts alone can resolve political conflicts, nor that every act of protest produces immediate policy change. Their significance can instead lie in transforming private concern into collective action. The act of choosing where to spend, what to support and whether to speak out can provide individuals with a tangible way to resist the sense that political events are beyond their influence.
This is particularly relevant in Lebanon and across the wider Middle East, where shared histories, cultures and experiences of conflict can create a basis for solidarity. Political unity should not be assumed, but empathy can still provide a foundation for collective civic action.
Ultimately, resisting desensitisation requires more than continuing to witness suffering. It requires maintaining the belief that individuals remain capable of responding to it.
In an era of such constant exposure to death and violence, it becomes important to look beyond the measurable economic impact of an action and adopt a more introspective approach to our individual morals and values.
Political participation does not always have to be evaluated solely by its immediate effectiveness. Individuals should retain the freedom to consider whether where they spend their money aligns with their own beliefs and principles.
In this sense, consumer choices can become an extension of personal values: not necessarily because one purchase will alter a political outcome, but because refusing to become entirely passive can itself challenge the complacency that desensitisation produces.
By Farah Assi
