Rob Henderson on Growing up in Foster Care

The Michael Shermer Show # 406

Rob Henderson was born to a drug-addicted mother and a father he never met, ultimately shuttling between ten different foster homes in California. When he was adopted into a loving family, he hoped that life would finally be stable and safe. Divorce, tragedy, poverty, and violence marked his adolescent and teen years, propelling Henderson to join the military upon completing high school.

His greatest achievements — a military career, an undergraduate education from Yale, a PhD from Cambridge — feel like hollow measures of success. He argues that stability at home is more important than external accomplishments, and he illustrates the ways the most privileged among us benefit from a set of social standards that actively harm the most vulnerable.

Shermer and Henderson discuss: hindsight bias • genes, environment, luck, contingency • foster care • incarceration rates • marriage, divorce, childhood outcomes • poverty, welfare programs, and social safety nets • the young male syndrome • alcohol, drugs, depression • luxury beliefs of educated elites • wealthy but unstable homes vs. low-income but stable homes • inequality • Henderon's experience in the military, at Yale and Cambridge • the Warrior-Scholar Project.

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[m.davidmccormick]

Rob Henderson is a national treasure. Protect him at all costs

[catherinerice]

Very interesting conversation ... a lovely interview style. Rob is inspirational. Have been listening to him over last year or two, a fascinating person, very insightful. A reasonable and thoughtful man.

[johnodee]

Rob, is a grand character; I'm enjoying the audiobook and love his social science writing

[mabelheinzle]

Rob is admirable- thank you for this video

[sherigraham]

Rob Henderson I have so much respect for your ability to get through this tough life experience. I am thankful you chose to write your story of the foster care system. Your very bright and are making a difference that could help so many children, foster parents and parents who need to stick together. Thankyou so very much for being such a quality man. For turning out well. Your amazing!

[mabelheinzle]

As a kid from a working class - lower- I lost out on a lot of cultural knowledge- music, art etc. still catching up.

[StanGraham]

Wonderful interview Michael, as are all of yours. I would love meet Rob and share ideas about transforming the foster care systems. I was a foster parent for 8 years and a Child Welfare worker for 21. I care.

[wendellbabin]

18:18 Yes. Especially once there are children involved.

How about this. No fault divorce goes away once children are involved. Unless of course there is reported, DOCUMENTED abuse, domestic violence etc.

NOT saying NO divorce. Just going back to "former" norms that existed before the "Divorce Industrial Complex".

Maybe weighted for how MANY kids, how long until out of the house and so on.

[angharadllewellyn]

I had a 2 person family. It was horrible. I got out. I went to university. I never went back. Not everyone in a 2 person family has a good deal.

[hansmeiser]

If a woman doesn't want a child she can have an abortion - no questions asked, no blame, no shame. If a man doesn't want a child the only thing he can do is leave the mother and the child but he's seen as a monster.

[wendellbabin]

1:20:06 I often wonder if something like the Old School Boy's Town etc wouldn't be better than the turmoil Rob suffered. Minus the Pedophile Priests and Psychotic Nuns of course. Maybe should consider this next time we leave a closed Military Base to rot or auction off to Political Cronies basically for scrap prices. These usually have fully functioning shops physical plants, gyms pools etc.

Could be a good residential trade school or something too. Many have high schools and buildings, barracks base housing all of it just left for criminals and vandals.

[aminam]

Listen carefully to this video 2:00 “Patrick Haggard - How Brain Scientists Think About Consciousness” he talks about consciousness type one and type two (human thoughts), where consciousness type two is responsible for perception (processing sensory data to produce information ) then consciousness type one works on that later within thinking process, …etc. I never saw this video before, where was it hidden and why they changed the videos they publish to imitate human thoughts (exact human thoughts)! isn’t that weird?! especially human logic is completely different!

[wendellbabin]

30:44 That comes, or traditionally came, from whichever Religious Institution. Which the Left Loathes on Principle.

[mabelheinzle]

100% - absent fathers should be stigmatized

[mabelheinzle]

Michael good interviewers let the interviewee speak

[mabelheinzle]

I was sexually- physically and emotionally abused by my father - so ??? My mother was loving - soDespite that - made a great life and children ( now adults)