The Hot Girl Economy, Drunk Driving, Ivy Leaguers
Links and recommendations + the best sleep upgrade I've ever had
NYC Event:
To celebrate the paperback launch of Troubled, I’ll be in conversation with Dr. Drew at a live event in New York City. March 17 at 6pm.
Details and registration here.
From the archives:
The Grand Canyon-Sized Chasm Between Elites and Ordinary Americans: Ivy leaguers vs. everyone else
The Best Sleep Upgrade I’ve Ever Had:
I’ve always been skeptical of sleep gadgets, but the Eight Sleep Pod is the real deal. It personalizes the temperature of my bed in real-time, so I get uninterrupted, high-quality sleep.
As far back as I can remember I’ve had difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. I solved the first issue years ago by placing my phone on the other side of the room and reading a book before bed each night until my eyes get tired. Usually I fall asleep within 15 minutes.
But staying asleep remained an issue—until very recently. Many of you are aware that I recently moved to New York. I had to buy a new bed. I went with an Eight Sleep setup. Heard a million ads on podcasts etc. and tuned it all out. Huge mistake on my part. Now I'm mad I didn't get one way sooner. When I used to wake up in the middle of the night, the usual problem was temperature. I’d be too warm, or (less frequently) too cold, and struggle to find a comfortable temperature to fall asleep.
The Eight Sleep Pod fixes that. It adjusts the temperature of the bed automatically. It’s incredible.
I personally bought an Eight Sleep Pod. About two weeks later I learned that one of the Eight Sleep founders follows me on X. I sent a DM mentioning how great the product is and figured I could share my experience here with my readers. I personally use this product literally every night.
The other day I was listening to the All-In Podcast and heard Naval Ravikant say he uses Eight Sleep–it wasn’t an ad, just Naval briefly mentioning his sleep routine. It seems like every third smart person I know has an Eight Sleep setup now. It really is that good.
Why It Works
The Pod is a high-tech mattress cover that you can easily and quickly add to your existing bed. This cover is packed with advanced technology that allows it to automatically cool, heat, and even elevate.
Here's why this matters: the Pod has been clinically proven to increase quality sleep by up to one hour each night. That's a massive boost to your recovery time, which can translate to better physical performance, improved cognitive function, and enhanced overall health. Having a Pod is like having a sleep coach, personal thermostat, and advanced fitness tracker all rolled into one.
The Pod uses precision temperature control to regulate your body's sleep cycles. It can cool down to a chilly 55°F or warm up to 110°F, and it does this separately for each side of the bed. This means you and your partner can each have your ideal sleep temperature.
The really cool part? The Pod learns your sleep patterns over time and automatically adjusts the temperature throughout the night to optimize each phase of your sleep.
I’ve been using the Pod since last December. My sleep has been noticeably deeper and more restorative. I wake up more refreshed and focused, which makes a real difference in my productivity and overall well-being. If you care about performance—whether in work, fitness, or life in general—this is a serious upgrade.
Exclusive Offer for My Readers
If you want to experience the best sleep of your life, use my code ROBHENDERSON for:
$350 off the Pod 4 Ultra
$200 off the Pod 4
Get yours here: www.eightsleep.com/robhenderson/
Your future well-rested self will thank you.
Links and recommendations:
Why We Should Worry When Kids Don’t Show Up at School by Naomi Schaefer Riley
inside the hot girl economy by
The Painted Protest by Dean Kissick
An Error of Overperception? by Jordann L. Brandner, Gary L. Brase, and Jadyn Pohlman
Good point here from Arnold Kling. Young people with college graduate parents typically have more status (relative to first generation students). But parents with kids in college also get a boost in status. When people talk about disrupting higher education or rethinking the college system, they should remember college isn’t just about education. Eighteen year olds want to hang out with other young people, binge drink, hook up with strangers, etc. And will gladly go into debt in exchange for the status of being a “college graduate.”
Finally getting around to watching "The Last Dance" on Netflix, about the golden age of the Chicago Bulls. Interesting social class element in the series. At one point their #1 (Michael Jordan) and number #2 players (Scottie Pippen) were paid wildly different salaries. In fact, in his peak Pippen wasn't even in the top 100 highest paid players in the NBA. Jordan grew up solidly middle class. In contrast, Pippen grew up extremely poor, had family and several siblings he had to take care of, and negotiated his salary with outdated information and little leverage. So many people focus on gender/racial/etc. disparities in earnings, but this was a case where social class factors (poor negotiation, material anxiety, financial caution) mattered far more.
Three interesting findings:
1. Even when no stressful events are on the horizon, people high in the personality trait of neuroticism react as if there were, exhibiting a general tendency to feel bad regardless of circumstances. Even when life seems to be going objectively well, people high in neuroticism are prone to worrying. (source: The Person: A New Introduction to Personality Psychology).
2. Men have a considerable weakness. Relative to women, men have a harder time fighting off infections and illnesses. From fetal development to old age, males exhibit a fragility—a compromised capacity to deal with environmental stresses. (source: How Men Age: What Evolution Reveals about Male Health and Mortality). Relatedly, many studies found that men were far more likely to die of COVID than women.
3. People with exceptionally high intelligence very often have “over-excitabilities” or “super-sensibilities,” such as a heightened awareness of one of the five senses, experiencing extremely intense emotions or having very high levels of energy. (source).
I’ll never tell my husband there is some scientific backing to the man cold.
I want an eight sleep, but I've read they often leak.