Nature & Nurture #90: Dr. Rob Henderson - Luxury Beliefs & Status Signals

Dr. Rob Henderson is a psychologist best known for his research on luxury beliefs. 

In this episode, we talk about risk and resilience factors for success in America, including growing up in stable two-parent households. Rob shares how his experience growing up in the foster care system and his military service primed him for identifying luxury beliefs of the upper class during his studies at Yale and Cambridge. We discuss how luxury beliefs confer status upon elites, but disproportionately harm people in poor and working-class communities. As a case-study, we talk about changing norms surrounding monogamy and casual sex. Lastly, we talk about evolutionary pressures for and against monogamy, cooperation, and different moral values.

0:00:02Introduction to Dr. Rob Henderson and his research on luxury beliefs and social status0:00:47Discussion on the deteriorating state of young men in America0:03:21The differential effects of family structure on boys and girls0:04:56The interaction between nature and nurture in determining life outcomes0:06:08The impact of environmental inputs on cognitive ability and personality0:08:38The importance of stable and decent childhoods for children's well-being0:11:54The different ways in which "Lost Boys" manifest their struggles0:14:35The role of the military in providing structure and stability0:16:26The cultural shock experienced by Dr. Henderson at Yale0:20:22The concept of luxury beliefs and their role in conferring status0:25:21The moralization of luxury beliefs and the language treadmill0:28:08The harms caused by luxury beliefs, particularly in relation to monogamy0:36:56The impact of luxury beliefs on lower status people0:45:40The impact of luxury beliefs on mating psychology and relationships0:53:49The consequences of polyamory and the importance of monogamy for children1:00:08The potential consequences of a society-wide shift towards polyamory1:05:04The frustration of entitled attitudes towards income and education1:05:40The complexity of evolutionary forces and moral norms1:06:41The limitations of grounding morality solely in evolutionary models1:08:11The influence of economic education on selfish behavior in games1:09:21The importance of reputation and belonging in human psychology1:11:30Dr. Henderson's book and its exploration of personal experiences and social commentary