Why do some members of the “elite class”—those who are educated, wealthy, and largely raised in stable, two-parent homes—publicly advocate for harmful beliefs while not subscribing to them in their private lives?

This week marks Are You Kidding Me?’s 100th episode! For this special episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Rob Henderson, psychologist and author of the recent book Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class. Having experienced an unstable childhood in the foster care system before then enlisting in the military and going on to complete a PhD in psychology, Rob observed a phenomenon among American elites he eventually coined as “luxury beliefs.” Luxury beliefs are held ideas that confer status to the wealthy while inflicting harm on the poor and working class. Rob discusses where he believes this phenomenon originated, the practical impact it has for low-income communities, and how he tries to reverse the trend through sharing data and encouraging people to think more deeply about the ideas they are espousing.

Resources

1. Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class | Rob Henderson
2. Luxury Beliefs That Only the Privileged Can Afford | Rob Henderson
3. Troubled: A Book Event with Rob Henderson | Naomi Schaefer Riley, Sally Satel, Rob Henderson

Show Notes

01:05 | Can you talk about your background with the foster care system, and what the biggest influence in your early years was on your thinking later in life?

02:59 | What was the pivot for you that allowed you to find success and eventually write your book?

09:56 | Why are members of the “elite class” so predisposed to express certain beliefs in public but not hold to them in their private lives?

15:04 | How does the act of holding luxury beliefs by the elite class impact members of the working class?

18:45 | Can you talk about the luxury belief dynamic as it plays out with drug use, and how is that dynamic playing out in families?

23:52 | Are you finding that some of the ideas you express in your book are being made by others into their own kinds of luxury beliefs?

26:57 | How do we confront luxury beliefs in such a way that we can reverse the impact they are having on low income communities?