Rob Henderson

Best-selling author of "Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class" | Senior Fellow, @ManhattanInst | All Views My Own

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

Today is the big day!

My debut book, "Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class," is now available in paperback.

The Audiobook is narrated by yours truly.

US: https://t.co/t7o58GQG4Q

UK: https://t.co/mWDvqgoYy6

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

"People were most likely to become friends with someone living next door, followed by someone on the same floor, followed by someone in the same building...becoming more familiar with another person tends to breed liking rather than contempt." https://t.co/IXH3RhFDUp

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

There's a reason the first amendment is listed first and not, say, eighth. The founders knew how easy it is for dumb people to fall into this form of flawed reasoning.

[FIRE @TheFIREorg]

Man: "You're going to ticket us for 'offensive' speech?"

Fort Worth Cop: "Yes, I am."

That’s not how that works. Thankfully, the city says it’s taking steps so this never happens again.

FIRE stands ready to help @fortworthpd in providing First Amendment training to officers.

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

"Happier couples also tend to give each other the benefit of the doubt. Rather than assuming 'My partner doesn’t care,' they’re more likely to consider that the other is tired, distracted, overwhelmed or simply unaware of the impact of their behavior." https://t.co/qfo8CF58Gb

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

Underrated reason why enshittification happens not only online but in real life is because more ppl are high 24/7 on their weed vape half mentally-checked out from their job

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

"later-borns of both sexes are more likely to develop a same-sex sexual orientation....Somehow, the mother's previous pregnancies change the prenatal environment in ways that slightly elevate the chances of same-sex sexual orientation." https://t.co/CqS3r2MJGT

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

Full discussion here: https://t.co/2JwhU5Dm24

Follow me on TikTok here: https://t.co/o92265Zvv7

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

What is the male "monkey dance?"

In his book Meditations on Violence, law enforcement consultant Rory Miller describes "the monkey dance" as a ritualized form of male combat to establish dominance or secure territory.

It is typically non-lethal and intended to convey strength without escalating to the level of severe injury or death.

The steps are:

1. Eye contact, hard stare

2. Verbal challenge (“what are you lookin’ at?” "you got a problem bro?")

3. Closing of distance, possible chest bumping (arms extend outward)

4. Finger poke or two-handed push to the chest

5. Dominant hand roundhouse punch (if the person is untrained in combat)

Males, especially young males, do not play the monkey dance. It plays them. In many species, males engage in ritualistic conflict, suggesting this ritual predates humans.

We have millions of years of evolutionary programming tucked away in our brains, which can be hard to switch off in certain situations. Especially if alcohol is involved.

One way to circumvent escalation is through submissive body language. Lowering your eyes, apologizing. It doesn’t feel good to do this. For young males, backing down from a status challenge is psychologically painful.

There are implicit rules about monkey dances.

The dance is about gaining or maintaining status.

Which means the selected adversaries are important. Nobody plays the monkey dance with children. No one plays the monkey dance with someone who is obviously high on drugs or crazy. Few men partake in the monkey dance against women.

Typically, the dance is between two males who are similar in physicality and age. It is more likely to occur when there is an open question about who would prevail in a physical contest.

[Manhattan Institute @ManhattanInst]

Eliminating gifted programs was so unpopular that even San Francisco reversed course.

[Manhattan Institute @ManhattanInst]

There's a common myth that schools are underfunded, but NYC spends $42,000 per pupil.

It's true that schools are failing and enrollment is declining, but the culprit isn't a lack of funding—it's mismanagement.

@dany_egorov discussed the issue with @DFIPolicy back in May:

[Wilfred Reilly @wil_da_beast630]

I sort of AM a prison abolitionist.

If every crime was punished either by (1) graduated fines and 1-5 lashes or (2) being burned alive on TV, we'd have less crime.

Some modifications of my Very Serious Model here might be possible - but the basic frame is obviously right.

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

Interesting

[Wilfred Reilly @wil_da_beast630]

I sort of AM a prison abolitionist.

If every crime was punished either by (1) graduated fines and 1-5 lashes or (2) being burned alive on TV, we'd have less crime.

Some modifications of my Very Serious Model here might be possible - but the basic frame is obviously right.

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

Reminds me of AVClub TV review commenter (handle "Zodiac Motherfucker") on the themes of The Sopranos. One of the greatest of online tv rants:

[Richard Hanania @RichardHanania]

One of the messages of The Sopranos is that therapy culture has been a disease. The old Jewish psychiatrist who is seen once and never again is the conscience of the show.

[Brian Anderson @BrianAcity]

Amazing that she’s never heard of him, though admittedly Henrich emphasizes ideas unwelcome in today’s academy—that the West’s historical advantage (which itself would be disputed by most leftist professors these days) grew out of the medieval Church’s teaching on marriage and family, which shattered clans and banned cousin marriage, and built a social world based on nuclear families and voluntary associations. The psychology that developed, Henrich maintains, was individualistic, stranger-trusting, rule-following, and patient, and made markets work and innovation explode. Rob’s excellent essay on Henrich’s opus WEIRD (a book that won the 2022 Hayek Prize) explores these themes.

[Niall Ferguson @nfergus]

This isn't surprising to me, but it's almost certainly much worse than most people think, especially if they graduated from university 20 more more years ago.

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

Somehow president of the American Anthropological Association doesn't know who Joseph Henrich (one of the most prominent, widely cited anthropologists of the last 15 years) is but I do. My review of Henrich's most recent book: https://t.co/awdTCVZhXU

[Jukka Savolainen @JukkaSavo]

The president of the American Anthropological Association said what?!

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

@JukkaSavo Unreal

[Rob Henderson @robkhenderson]

"the French Revolution had begun with high progressive hopes but descended into a vicious bloodbath...the Russian Revolution had begun with high progressive hopes but quickly produced a genocidal police state." https://t.co/Lz02uLHN50