Constraints and limitations, whether in the form of military training or prison routine, have the power to instill discipline and structure in individuals. These boundaries provide a sense of predictability and routine that can be missed once one is out of that environment. Despite initial dislike, both the author and their friend grew to appreciate the benefits of these limitations as they channeled their energies towards productive outcomes. Such constraints helped to contain impulses and provide structure, ultimately leading to personal growth and development.
Dr. Jordan Peterson speaks with best-selling author, Air Force veteran, and psychologist Rob Henderson. They discuss his recent memoir “Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family and Social Class” and go through Rob’s tumultuous upbringing within the California foster care system, the lived and observed transformations of social status and class as he ascended to Yale and Cambridge, how his thoughts on family structure and “luxury beliefs” developed, and why bookstores won’t host him for his tour.
Rob Henderson grew up in foster homes in Los Angeles and in the rural town of Red Bluff, California. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at the age of seventeen. Following his enlistment, he attended Yale on the G.I. Bill and was subsequently awarded the Gates Cambridge Scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge, where he obtained a PhD in psychology in 2022. His writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal and Quillette, among other outlets, and his Substack newsletter is sent each week to more than 50,000 subscribers.
This episode was recorded on February 25th, 2024
- Links -
2024 tour details can be found here https://jordanbpeterson.com/events
Peterson Academy https://petersonacademy.com/
For Rob Henderson:
“Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class” (Book) https://www.amazon.com/Troubled-Memoir-Foster-Family-Social/dp/1982168536
On X https://twitter.com/robkhenderson?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Substack https://substack.com/@robkhenderson
Newsletter https://www.robkhenderson.com/