Rob Henderson's Newsletter

Rob Henderson's Newsletter explores disparities between elites and ordinary Americans, focusing on human nature, psychology, social class, and luxury beliefs. It delves into issues like family stability, educational trends, Hollywood influence, psychological aspects of upward mobility, and the impact of 'luxury beliefs' on societal classes, providing insights through research findings and personal experiences.

Human Nature Psychology Social Class Disparities Family Dynamics Educational Trends Media Influence Luxury Beliefs Upward Mobility Societal Impact of Beliefs Writing and Creativity Sexual Behavior Economic Redistribution Social Media Perceptions Gender Divides Health Trends

The hottest Substack posts of Rob Henderson's Newsletter

And their main takeaways

The Rise of Western Individualism

4431 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology History Society Religion Economics
  1. Western individualism stems from historical factors like the power of the Western Church and its unique taboos on family structures.
  2. WEIRD societies have distinct characteristics: hyper-individualism, focus on intentions, patience for delayed gratification, and a willingness to adhere to rules even without enforcement.
  3. The rise of Western individualism influenced laws, innovation, and economic prosperity, with key factors like belief in moralizing gods, influence of formal institutions, and the impact of impersonal markets.

Troubled is a National Bestseller—But Weirdly, Not a New York Times Bestseller

4697 implied HN points • 03 Mar 24
📚 Literature Book Reviews
  1. Making it to different bestseller lists can vary based on different criteria and sources, showing how subjective the process is.
  2. Bestseller lists reflect sales velocity for a week, not the overall success of a book. This can lead to various books making the lists based on short-term sales spikes.
  3. Elite opinions, including those of individuals who read a lot and care about bestseller status, can significantly influence public opinion, policies, and societal functioning.

America's Lost Boys and Me

6913 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🏥 Health Politics Education Psychological impact
  1. There is a concerning trend of young American men struggling with unemployment, education, and family stability, with statistics showing a significant decline in college attendance among males.
  2. Childhood instability and broken homes have a stronger impact on boys than girls, affecting factors like education, future earnings, and likelihood of incarceration. Stable and secure homes are crucial for children's success.
  3. Research findings emphasize the importance of a solid, two-parent home for a child's future, highlighting the need for positive male role models and guidance to help young men succeed academically and professionally.
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How the luxury beliefs of an educated elite erode society

4261 implied HN points • 25 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Society Class Beliefs Education Books
  1. Luxury beliefs confer status at low cost to the upper class, but can be damaging to lower classes.
  2. Affluent individuals often promote harmful lifestyles to others while distancing themselves from the consequences.
  3. The concept of white privilege can be embraced by wealthy white individuals to elevate social status, while those who actually face the repercussions are usually less privileged.

On Writing

4886 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
📚 Literature Writing Creativity Authors Memoirs Books
  1. The key to writing is having a point of view and putting in the effort consistently, regardless of any specific method or process.
  2. Creativity involves both insight and persistence; don't underestimate the value of persistent effort in generating creative ideas.
  3. Writing regularly may involve accepting that initial drafts may not be perfect, embracing bad writing as part of the process, and persisting through writer's block.

Status Games

1628 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Social Dynamics Competition
  1. The post discusses status games, which are competitive arenas where individuals strive for social recognition.
  2. Status games encompass elements like cloak and dagger, dominance, and success in the pursuit of social esteem.
  3. The content is available for paid subscribers, emphasizing the value of exploring and understanding competitive social dynamics.

Two-Parent Families Are More Important Than College

3920 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🚌 Education Family Dynamics Social Mobility Book Reviews Life experiences
  1. The focus on education as a sole solution for social mobility overlooks the importance of nurturing and support before age 18.
  2. It's crucial to gather data from communities directly rather than relying solely on self-proclaimed leaders to bridge gaps.
  3. Encouraging two-parent families is emphasized over college attainment, highlighting the significance of family structure.

We've Come a Long Way

3655 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
📚 Literature Memoir Publishing Book Sales Writing
  1. The author shares their journey from financial struggle to success, highlighting how generosity from readers helped him transition to writing full-time.
  2. Pre-ordering a book can significantly impact its success by influencing bookstore orders, placement, and potential to become a bestseller.
  3. The book "Troubled" contains personal narratives about foster care, social class, and challenging societal norms, aiming to promote important conversations in the culture.

Luxuriating, Heretical Questions, The Age 30 Crisis

1458 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🚌 Education Podcasts Literature Science Health & Wellness Reading
  1. Social media use habits can reveal gender differences, like adding 'o' to 'so' which is a strong predictor of being female.
  2. Verbal intelligence among college graduates has decreased over 40 years, implying a college degree doesn't represent the same verbal ability as before.
  3. The ratio of unmarried men to women varies by age, with more men at younger ages, but fewer men as age increases.

What Shocked Me About the Culture at Yale

2765 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Education Literature Books Podcasts Social Issues
  1. Professors at Yale often work well into their eighties and nineties, a notable difference from other environments.
  2. Students at Ivy League schools can exhibit hypocrisy, criticizing certain occupations while secretly pursuing opportunities in them.
  3. Many elite university students fear being seen as who they truly are, choosing to uphold a virtuous image instead.

Glenn Loury, Confucius, The Cost of Luxury Beliefs

1685 implied HN points • 06 Mar 24
🎙 Podcasts Interviews Recommendations Events
  1. Success is about training, mentorship, rigor, and standards, not just representation or diversity programs.
  2. A book event in San Francisco is happening on March 7 at 8VC, with limited space available for registration.
  3. Interesting findings include preferences of both men and women in partners, historical insights on human evolution and chewing, and marriage rates by income quintile in the US.

Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class is Available Now!

2632 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
📚 Literature Book release Book Reviews
  1. The author's book, 'Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class' is now available, containing new material and insights on social class, upward mobility, and luxury beliefs.
  2. Support for the book is welcomed through social media posts, physical bookstore purchases, and leaving reviews on platforms like Amazon and Goodreads.
  3. The author also shares podcast appearances discussing the book and related topics, providing various links for listeners to access.

Big Money, Elites, San Francisco

2083 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Books Podcasts Events
  1. Rob Henderson is making TV and podcast appearances discussing topics like elites, hidden hierarchies, and luxury beliefs.
  2. Join Rob Henderson at book events in San Francisco on March 6 and March 7 to discuss his book _Troubled_.
  3. Listen to Rob Henderson on various podcasts like Modern Wisdom and YOUR WELCOME, sharing insights on diverse topics including genetic tests and reinventing oneself.

Single Ladies, Paying on Dates, Tinder Matching

2121 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Relationships Gender Books Media Society
  1. Sociometric status, like respect and admiration from peers, can influence well-being more than socioeconomic status, even for introverted individuals
  2. The family structure is noted as a hindrance to central control of social processes in historical Marxist literature. Engels initially included undermining family bonds in the Communist Manifesto draft
  3. Women in their twenties using Tinder are more likely to swipe right for a man with a master's degree compared to one with a bachelor's degree

"Striving For Upward Mobility Without Background"

3011 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Higher education Social Class Literature
  1. Some elite college professors have a habit of starting sentences with lowercase letters and abbreviating words randomly.
  2. The discussion about Harvard Extension School's legitimacy brings to mind the concept of clinging to social prestige.
  3. There is a recognizable psychological type of individuals who are intelligent enough to attend prestigious universities but not exceptionally bright.

Rob Henderson's Reading List

1609 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
📚 Literature Books Authors Memoir Reviews
  1. Rob Henderson has put together a free reading list with 31 impactful books.
  2. The topics in the reading list cover human nature, psychology, and social class, among others.
  3. To get the free reading list, pre-order Rob Henderson's book 'Troubled' and email proof of purchase.

Drunk Drivers, Box-Tickers, Compliments

2045 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology Society
  1. Endorsement of economic redistribution predicted by compassion, envy, and personal gain, not fairness.
  2. Majority of U.S. citizens overestimate the frequency of police officers firing their weapons.
  3. Compliments differ between women and men in terms of topics and frequency.

What I Learned at Yale

719 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🚌 Education
  1. The post is exclusive for paid subscribers on the website.
  2. The content discusses what the author learned at Yale.
  3. There are options to subscribe or sign in for paid subscribers.

Ask Me Anything, Bonus Edition

227 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🚌 Education
  1. The post is about an 'Ask Me Anything' session in a bonus edition
  2. The content is available on Rob Henderson's website
  3. Access to the post is for paid subscribers

Oxford Literary Festival, 4 Kinds of Luck, Orgasm Rates

94 implied HN points • 19 Mar 24
📚 Literature Events Book Reviews
  1. Rob Henderson will be speaking at book events in London, Oxford, and at Yale, discussing his memoir 'Troubled' and engaging with the audience.
  2. Luck plays a significant role in entrepreneurship, with four different kinds of luck identified by Marc Andreessen.
  3. Orgasm rates for women vary depending on the relationship type, ranging from 11% in most recent hookups to 67% in relationships lasting 6+ months.