The Biggest Narcissist I Ever Met, 18 Egg Yolks, and Whether White Men Were Ever That Good
Plus: Come heckle me in Baltimore and the greatest gift you can give someone
In case you missed it…
Provoked is for playful, intelligent, creative, and discerning readers. If you enjoy this article, support the mission (be a free subscriber or get premium benefits).
For Provoked readers in Virginia, DC, and Maryland:
I’m speaking as part of a fantastic series called Profs & Pints in Baltimore on January 7, 2026! Would love to meet you before or after. Grab an old-fashioned, heckle me about curiosity, tell me I’m wrong about something.
My Alternative Hypothesis
I wanted to share a controversial article that will ruffle a few feathers and activate serious motivated reasoning: click here for the full-text
It’s a long article, but worth it. My question: what if Savage has the causation backwards? His article suggests the conversation on race and occupation has been too crude, and there is a need to distinguish between older white men (who are doing fine) and younger, fresh out of college white men (who are paying for the sins of their father, grandpa, and great-gramps). That is, white millennial men are the subgroup dealing with exclusion (for more on exclusion, click here). Qualified people are being passed over because of their identity; as the subgroup getting passed over keeps morphing.
Read it. Form your own opinion. And as you do, I want to share an alternativfe hypothesis I’ve been mulling over. For decades, the standards might have been artificially low for white men in these industries. Maybe it’s because they were being favored. Or maybe it’s because the competition pool was restricted (sexism, racism, ableism, etc.). When you’re only competing against other white men for positions largely controlled by white men, you can be pretty mediocre and still succeed.
Then the pool opened up. Women and people of color who had always included a subgroup of highly talented individuals (like any other heterogeneous group), suddenly had access. And what looks like “discrimination against white men” might be regression to the mean.
I’m not certain this is right; it’s a hypothesis that can co-exist with much of what Savage is saying in the article.
What do you think? Hit reply. I’m interested in anyone’s thoughts who truly wants a conversation (no proselytizing please).
But There’s More!
This month’s Provoked community call went places I did not expect.
We started with a debate about whether I should attend a scary Christmas haunted forest experience (with men dressed up as reindeer who stab you with metallic sporks) or a Nirvana/Smashing Pumpkins cover band show. Then someone asked about chivalry and how it’s different in 2025. Then we somehow landed on the most narcissistic student I’ve ever taught (fascinating topic), the ways kids are circumventing Australia’s social media ban, and how one company used fake job interviews to identify who had empathy.
Side Note: Do read a cool, new study on how one type of empathy leads to less burnout, whereas the other type leads to more! (link)
🔒 For the Curious
Video and full transcript of our 69-minute call can be found below for paid subscribers.
And one more thing for the premium tier: The greatest gift you can give this holiday season. For Provoked readers in Virginia, DC, and Maryland:
I’m speaking as part of a fantastic series called Profs & Pints in Baltimore on January 7, 2026! Would love to meet you before or after. Grab an old-fashioned, heckle me about curiosity, tell me I’m wrong about something.
Get tickets here
My Alternative Hypothesis
I wanted to share a controversial article that will ruffle a few feathers and activate serious motivated reasoning: click here for the full-text
It’s a long article, but worth it. My question: what if Savage has the causation backwards? His article suggests the conversation on race and occupation has been too crude, and there is a need to distinguish between older white men (who are doing fine) and younger, fresh out of college white men (who are paying for the sins of their father, grandpa, and great-gramps). That is, white millennial men are the subgroup dealing with exclusion (for more on exclusion, click here). Qualified people are being passed over because of their identity; as the subgroup getting passed over keeps morphing.
Read it. Form your own opinion. And as you do, I want to share an alternativfe hypothesis I’ve been mulling over. For decades, the standards might have been artificially low for white men in these industries. Maybe it’s because they were being favored. Or maybe it’s because the competition pool was restricted (sexism, racism, ableism, etc.). When you’re only competing against other white men for positions largely controlled by white men, you can be pretty mediocre and still succeed.
Then the pool opened up. Women and people of color who had always included a subgroup of highly talented individuals (like any other heterogeneous group), suddenly had access. And what looks like “discrimination against white men” might be regression to the mean.
I’m not certain this is right; it’s a hypothesis that can co-exist with much of what Savage is saying in the article.
What do you think? Hit reply. I’m interested in anyone’s thoughts who truly wants a conversation (no proselytizing please).
But There’s More!
This month’s Provoked community call went places I did not expect.
We started with a debate about whether I should attend a scary Christmas haunted forest experience (with men dressed up as reindeer who stab you with metallic sporks) or a Nirvana/Smashing Pumpkins cover band show. Then someone asked about chivalry and how it’s different in 2025. Then we somehow landed on the most narcissistic student I’ve ever taught (fascinating topic), the ways kids are circumventing Australia’s social media ban, and how one company used fake job interviews to identify who had empathy.
Side Note: Do read a cool, new study on how one type of empathy leads to less burnout, whereas the other type leads to more! (link)
🔒 For the Curious
Video and full transcript of our 69-minute call can be found below for paid subscribers.
And one more thing for the premium tier: The greatest gift you can give this holiday season. Here's what drives me crazy about holiday gift-giving. We know what works. The science is overwhelming, replicated across cultures, observable in brain scans, detectable in toddlers before they can speak. And yet we keep screwing up. But no longer, not you. Below is something better. Steal what I share. Adapt it to your relationship (because yours are distinct from mine - link). Help someone experience jolts of joy for months.
[Upgrade to paid to access the video, transcript, and gift ideas]