The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

Grandma Was Right

Mar 27, 2024

Psychologist and author Rob Henderson discusses his new book, foster care experiences, 'luxury beliefs,' mandatory public service, and more. They delve into societal divides, the screwed up foster care system, and the evolution of values in modern society.

01:28:31

Episode guests

Rob Henderson

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Luxury beliefs perpetuate societal divides by prioritizing status over practical consequences.

Foster care system suffers from intentional instability and bureaucratic shortcomings, demanding urgent reform.

Elite adoption of luxury beliefs reflects cultural capital and reinforces societal stratification.

Deep dives

Rob Henderson's Journey from Foster Care to Success

Rob Henderson shares his remarkable journey from being placed in foster care as a child due to his mother's addiction and his unknown father to eventually turning his life around. Raised in multiple foster homes, he was eventually adopted by a working-class family in California. Despite facing family tragedies, financial struggles, and separations, he managed to enlist in the Air Force, earn an education via the GI Bill, and attend Cambridge on scholarship, documenting his personal struggles and societal observations in his memoir, 'Troubled.'

Introduction

5min

Navigating Life's Challenges and Institutions

16min

Success, Luck, and Individual Agency

2min

Navigating the Complexities of Foster Care

17min

Unpacking Luxury Beliefs and Elite Culture

27min

Exploration of Positional Goods and Status in Society

6min

Evolution of Values in Modern Society

9min

Rob Henderson, a psychologist and author, makes his Remnant debut to discuss his new book Troubled: A Memoir of Family, Foster Care, and Social Class. Growing up in poverty and moving through multiple foster homes in California, Henderson noticed a disparity between elite beliefs and the actual tools he used to climb the social ladder. The two explore this concept of "luxury beliefs," our screwed up foster care system, the arguments for mandatory public service, and more.

Show Notes:

—Rob's newsletter

—Rasmussen report on Affirmative Action

—The Remnant with Brad Wilcox

—The Remnant with Tim Carney

—Atomic Habits

—Charles Murray's review of Rob's book

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices