Harvard, Dog and Cat People, Casual Sex

My remarks at Harvard + links and recommendations

You can now watch my recent remarks at the Harvard University CORE Summit, about my bestselling book "Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class:

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The Psychology of Social Status:

My new lecture series “The Psychology of Social Status” is now available exclusively at Peterson Academy.

I delivered six lectures in front of a live studio audience, exploring the psychology of social status, examining its evolutionary roots, developmental origins, and the fundamental role it plays in shaping human behavior. We examine individual differences in status-seeking, the evolutionary reasons behind status pursuit, and the complex relationships between status, envy, emotions, and intrasexual competition for romantic partners. We also investigate the dynamics of social status in relation to stories, plot lines, and arenas of competition, and conclude by discussing the concept of luxury beliefs and their impact on society.

Enroll here for immediate access.

Here’s the trailer:

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City Journal

Here’s my latest piece for City Journal, where I am now a contributing editor, reflecting on the recent presidential election results:

Twilight of the Elites?

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Links and recommendations:

• My interview with the Harvard Salient, an undergraduate free speech publication

• Crushing White Claws With MAGA Hipsters on Election Night in Dimes Square by Magdalene Taylor

• Who the Woke Are by Oliver Traldi

• Can the Media Survive? by Charlotte Klein

• Personalities of dog people and cat people by W. Keith Campbell

• Tessa and Jay's Relationship Compatibility Test by Tessa West

• The Elite College Students Who Can't Read Books by Rose Horowitch

  • A counterpoint. Among authors, it is generally understood that none of your friends or family will actually read your book, and not to take it personally. This made sense to me, and I was prepared. But among my friends who attended elite colleges, more than half read my book. Still, I have spoken with multiple professors who tell me there is a marked difference between their students pre-lockdown versus post-lockdown in terms of focus, discipline, and willingness to read dense texts.

• Follow me on Instagram here. The platform is less volatile and more chill than Twitter/X, so I post some spicier excerpts from my readings on my IG stories

• You can follow me on TikTok here

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Three interesting findings:

1. Gender difference in emotional outcomes following casual sex: Women reported more loneliness, unhappiness, rejection, and regret. Conversely, men reported greater satisfaction, happiness, self-confidence, contentment, and mood improvement. (source).

2. In the Soviet Union, university-educated people were 2 to 3 times more likely than secondary school graduates to support the Communist Party. White-collar workers were far more supportive of communism relative to farm laborers and semi-skilled workers. Revolutionaries are usually privileged. (source).

3. Only 9 percent of Chinese citizens said they'd trust a person of a different nationality. In contrast, 52 percent of Germans said they'd trust such a person, and the number increased to over 65 percent in the United States and Australia. (source: The WEIRDEST People in the World by Joseph Henrich).