"This is written from the perspective of someone who doesn't have dependents."

According to Wikipedia, the author has dependents.

"Bregman is married to Maartje ter Horst, a photographer.^[43]^[44] They reside in Brooklyn as of 2025 and have a child together.^[45]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutger_Bregman

(Attention Wikipedia editors: Unless I missed something, reference #45 appears to make no mention of Bregman's family.)