How Are Those Luxury Beliefs Working Out? Rob Henderson and the coinage that keeps on giving.

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Aug 12, 2025

Rob Henderson, a social psychologist and author known for his concept of 'luxury beliefs', shares insights on the implications of these ideas on society. He discusses the 'mating crisis' and how young people increasingly delay or avoid relationships and family life. Henderson also highlights New York mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani as an example of luxury beliefs in action. The conversation reveals the interplay between societal beliefs, relationship dynamics, and the significant demographic challenges posed by declining birth rates.

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INSIGHT

Luxury Beliefs Persist

Rob Henderson coined "luxury beliefs" to describe elite ideas that flatter the upper class while harming lower-income groups.
He argues those beliefs persist and points to Zohran Mamdani as contemporary evidence.

INSIGHT

The Gender Politics Divide

Rob Henderson notes a clear gender gap in political self-identification among young people.
He observes young women are much more likely to call themselves liberal than men.

INSIGHT

Peterson As The Gateway

Meghan Daum and Rob discuss the manosphere as a response to male confusion about identity and dating.
Rob says Jordan Peterson acted as a gateway that led some men toward more extreme influencers.

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This week, I welcome back Rob Henderson, the social psychologist, author, and commentator who coined the concept of luxury beliefs: ideas that confer status on the upper class while inflicting real costs on lower-income communities. Rob was last here in early 2024 discussing his memoir, Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class, which chronicles his journey through California’s foster system to the Air Force, and onward to Yale and Cambridge. In this conversation, we explore what he’s been thinking about since the book’s release—particularly the so-called “mating crisis,” why many young people delay or avoid partnerships and family, and what that means for the future. We also dissect the emergence of Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayoral hopeful who, according to Rob (and I would concur), embodies luxury beliefs in action. Finally, Rob answers questions from Substack readers.

Rob will be a speaker at our Unspeakeasy Small Gathering for Big Ideas weekend, October 11-12 in New York City. Programming and ticketing info here.

GUEST BIO

Rob Henderson is the author of Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class. He grew up in foster homes in Los Angeles and in the rural town of Red Bluff, California. After enlisting in the U.S. Air Force at the age of seventeen, he subsequently attended Yale on the GI Bill and was then awarded the Gates Cambridge Scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge, where he obtained a PhD in psychology in 2022. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and his Substack newsletter is sent each week to more than 70 thousand subscribers.

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