Magical Overthinkers

Why do we feel guilty when we haven’t actually done anything wrong? This week, Amanda overthinks guilt with psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Reid (@jenreidmd) , author of Guilt-Free: Reclaiming Your Life From Unreasonable Expectations. They unpack the difference between guilt that helps us repair something and guilt that tells us we’re never doing enough, plus the sneaky way it can make us feel responsible for things we can’t actually control. Then, listener thought spirals, like: moving away from aging relatives, feeling guilty for being too tired to enjoy nature, and more. Maybe the goal isn’t to get rid of guilt entirely, but to figure out whose expectations you’re carrying. A spiral about guilt, control, impossible expectations, and letting your own needs count. Further Reading: Guilt-Free: Reclaiming Your Life From Unreasonable Expectations by Dr. Jennifer Reid Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. See Amanda, in person! Sounds Like A Cult is coming to you LIVE from The Elysian in LA on October 15th! Get tickets at soundslikeacult.com! If your glasses are overdue for a refresh, now is the time. Use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first order at ⁠⁠⁠bit.ly/3OdtU5X Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If your trauma helped shape who you are, what happens to you when you start healing it? This week, Amanda is joined by complex trauma expert, therapist, and NYU adjunct professor Dr. Gillian O’Shea Brown, LCSW (@dr.gillianosheabrown), author of Psyche’s Awakening, to untangle some of the questions that tend to get flattened into therapy-speak online. They overthink the difference between acute and complex trauma, why certain songs can send us straight back into an old emotional reality, whether being cheated on can be traumatic, and how to know if you’re actually processing your pain or just overwhelming yourself all over again. They also get into closure fantasies, talking to the parent who hurt you, the strange ways old wounds can become ambition or perfectionism, and the fear that healing might erase the person you fought so hard to become. An eye opening spiral about triggers, coping mechanisms, closure, and becoming more yourself instead of less. Further Reading: Psyche’s Awakening by Dr. Gillian O’Shea Brown, LCSW Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook.See Amanda, in person! Sounds Like A Cult is coming to you LIVE from The Elysian in LA on October 15th! Get tickets at soundslikeacult.com! Thanks to our Sponsors: Download Whatnot today and get $20 Off and free shipping on your first purchase.  If your glasses are overdue for a refresh, now is the time. Use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first order at ⁠⁠⁠bit.ly/3OdtU5X Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Would you ever date an AI boyfriend? Before you say absolutely fucking not, consider this: plenty of people who swear they’d never have an “AI relationship” are already turning to chatbots for reassurance, emotional processing, difficult conversations, or the occasional late-night spiral. This week, Amanda is joined by Bridget Todd (@bridgetmarieindc), host of There Are No Girls on the Internet and author of Love at First Prompt: AI and the Future of Intimacy, to overthink what happens when technology starts creeping into our most private emotional spaces. They talk about women using AI for romance because dating men feels increasingly hostile, neurodivergent people using chatbots to rehearse human connection, the appeal of a boyfriend who literally never gets tired of talking about books, and the very real misogyny baked into “girlfriends who never say no.” But in the world of large language models, who gets to own, shape, and profit from the parts of us that feel most intimate. An inquisitive spiral about loneliness, desire, digital intimacy, and who gets access to our inner worlds.Further Listening: Love at First Prompt by Bridget Todd Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. See Amanda, in person! Sounds Like A Cult is coming to you LIVE from The Elysian in LA on October 15th! Get tickets at soundslikeacult.com! Use code MAGICAL at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a Free Gift with your first purchase! #JonesRoadBeauty #ad If your glasses are overdue for a refresh, now is the time. Use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first order at ⁠⁠⁠bit.ly/3OdtU5X Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if you actually get your dream job... and then realize you're not living the dream you thought you would? This week, Amanda is joined by Cherie Brooke (@cherie.brooke) and Jean (@_jeanluo), hosts of the Tiger Sisters podcast (@tigersisterspodcast), who both left impressive corporate careers after discovering that the jobs their younger selves would have killed for no longer fit the lives they wanted. Together, they overthink golden handcuffs, the privilege built into pursuing passion, and why a job doesn’t have to provide purpose, identity, money, joy, and self-actualization all at once. They talk about taking sabbaticals, experimenting before making a giant career leap, letting yourself “fade in and out” of ambition, and why a perfectly good job that pays the bills might actually be part of your dream life.  A thoughtful spiral about ambition, career pivots, and building a dream life instead of obsessing over one perfect job.Further Listening: Tiger Sisters Podcast - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 We say we want more human connection, so why can texting “want to hang?” feel weirdly like begging? This week, Amanda is joined by ICU nurse, New York Times bestselling author, and Stories from a Stranger host Hunter Prosper (@hunter_prosper), whose work interviewing strangers has taught him that connection often starts with something deceptively simple: actually listening. Together, they overthink why we assume we’re burdening our friends, the case for the humble 20-minute “micro hang,” and how to be vulnerable without accidentally oversharing your way into an intimacy level you never signed up for. They also get into our increasingly unrealistic expectations around constant communication, why one awkward social moment probably isn’t being dissected in the group chat, and how many potential friendships die because everyone is waiting for someone else to make the first move.A thoughtful spiral about loneliness, vulnerability, and being brave enough to say hi first. Further Reading: Stories From A Stranger by Hunter Prosper - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to our Sponsors: Download Whatnot today and get $20 Off and free shipping on your first purchase.  If your glasses are overdue for a refresh, now is the time. Use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first order at ⁠⁠⁠bit.ly/3OdtU5X Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at ⁠⁠⁠https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to https://honeylove.com/Overthink Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you ambitious... or just exhausted? This week, Amanda is joined by award winning journalist and author of The Ambition Penalty, Stefanie O'Connell (@stefanieoconnell), to unpack one of the most misunderstood words in our vocabulary, ambition. They explore why ambition isn't a fixed personality trait, how corporate culture rewards some people while penalizing others for the exact same behavior, and why women are so often expected to walk an impossible tightrope between being "too much" and "not enough." They answer listener thought spirals about external validation, comparison, girlboss burnout, trad wives, capitalism, and whether it's possible to want a big life without letting your achievements define your worth. A validating spiral about redefining success and realizing your ambition was never the problem.Further Reading: The Ambition Penalty by Stafanie O'Connell - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Get 20% off at https://BUYRAYCON.com/MAGICALOPEN Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Amanda is joined by entrepreneur, former supreme court attorney and professional poker player, and author of You Can Just Do Things, Cate Hall, to unpack why starting over feels so terrifying and why it might be the very thing that leads us toward a more authentic life. Together, they chat about the fear of quitting, the sunk cost fallacy, why we crave a tidy life story, and how to tell the difference between running away from something and running toward yourself. They also answer listener thought spirals about toxic jobs, divorce, changing careers, moving across the world, getting "too old" to begin again, and whether it's ever really too late to start over.Further Reading: You Can Just Do Things by Cate Hall with Sasha Chapin - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. - If your glasses are overdue for a refresh, now is the time. Use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first order at ⁠⁠⁠bit.ly/3OdtU5X ⁠- Download Whatnot today and get $20 Off and free shipping on your first purchase.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why are we so afraid of getting older? Is it really about wrinkles... or are we actually afraid of losing our purpose, our identity, and the people we love? This week, Amanda is joined by oncologist, bioethicist, and Eat Your Ice Creamauthor Dr. Ezekiel "Zeke" Emanuel (@drezekielemanuel) to unpack our culture's obsession with staying young. Together, they explore why the wellness industry's promises of longevity miss the point, why curiosity matters more than looking 25 forever, and why some of the happiest, most meaningful years of life may still be ahead of us. They answer listener thought spirals about Botox, becoming "invisible," feeling behind in adulthood, retirement, and whether getting older has to mean becoming less yourself. A hopeful spiral about learning to fear aging a little less... and living a little more. Further Reading: Eat Your Ice Cream by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to our Sponsors: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at ⁠⁠https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why does failure feel so much bigger than it actually is? This week, Amanda is joined by entrepreneur, author, and leadership coach Jane Marie Chen (@janemarie.chen) to spiral about failure: why we're so terrified of it, why we avoid it at all costs, and why it often hurts so much more than the thing that actually happened. Together, they explore perfectionism, rejection, burnout, imposter syndrome, and the childhood experiences that shape our relationship to failure long before we ever encounter it. And what if failure isn't evidence that we're unworthy? What if it's simply the price of catching bigger waves? A reflective spiral about risk, resilience, and learning to love yourself even when things don't go according to plan. Further Reading: Like a Wave We Break by Jane Marie Chen - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. - If your glasses are overdue for a refresh, now is the time. Use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first order at ⁠⁠⁠bit.ly/3OdtU5X ⁠- Download Whatnot today and get $20 Off and free shipping on your first purchase.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No matter how old we get, there’s a decent chance a small part of us is still trying to impress, understand, forgive, rebel against, or be comforted by our mothers. This week, Amanda is joined by writer and editor Ashley Oerman (@ashleyoerman), author of Motherf*cked, to spiral about one of the most loaded relationships in the human experience: the one between mothers and their children. Together, they unpack the impossible expectations placed on mothers, the ways our earliest relationships shape our adult identities, and why "mommy issues" have become both a punchline and a profound psychological reality. A tender spiral about the stories we spend a lifetime trying to rewrite. Further Reading: Motherf*cked: How to Stop Your Mothers Toxic Drama from Ruining Your Life by Ashley Oerman - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to our Sponsors: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at ⁠https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠ Shop plans at ⁠https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When we first aired this episode in 2024, burnout felt like the defining emotional state of modern life. Two years later… honestly, not much has improved. If anything, burnout has shape-shifted. The girlboss hustle era may be less aspirational than it once was, but it’s been replaced by new flavors of exhaustion: constant digital overwhelm, economic anxiety, doomscrolling, and the strange pressure to be “healing” productively at all times. So this week, we’re revisiting Amanda’s conversation with the brilliant Amelia Nagoski (@burnoutbookgroup), co-author of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, for a much-needed refresher on what burnout actually is. Together, they unpack what happens when our bodies get stuck in an incomplete stress response cycle, why modern life keeps us there, and what it actually takes to start feeling better. If you’re emotionally fried, physically depleted, or somehow both overstimulated and numb, this one’s for you. We’ll be back in two weeks with a brand new episode.Further Reading: Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to our Sponsors: If your glasses are overdue for a refresh, now is the time. Use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first order at ⁠bit.ly/3OdtU5X Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does “thinking critically” actually mean and why is everyone so convinced they’re already good at it? This week, Amanda is joined by psychologist and author of Radical Thinking, Peter Lamont to explore how all of our beliefs are shaped by a limited slice of what we notice and how we interpret it, which means disagreement is inevitable. Peter reframes critical thinking as something quieter and more uncomfortable: recognizing the limits of your own perspective and being willing to engage with people who see the world differently. From the role of the internet and social media to why curiosity might matter more than certainty, this episode is a grounded spiral about attention, interpretation, and learning to question your own thinking before anyone else’s. Further Reading: Radical Thinking: How to See the Bigger Picture by Peter Lamont - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to our Sponsors: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical If your glasses are overdue for a refresh, now is the time. Use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first order at bit.ly/3OdtU5X Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does a healthy relationship actually look like, and who gets to decide? This week, Amanda is joined by relationship expert Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh (@dr.saranasserzadeh) to overthink "healthy" relationships. Together, they unpack why “healthy” can feel impossible to define, and why a more useful question might be: Does this relationship leave you feeling fulfilled? They explore how many people waste energy trying to fix the wrong things, and Sara breaks down the six ingredients she believes help relationships thrive. From situationships that feel surprisingly safe to whether healthy couples are “boring,” this episode is a grounded spiral about connection, boundaries, and giving yourself permission to believe you deserve the kind of love that feels steady. Further Reading: Love by Design: 6 ingredients to build a lifetime of love by Dr. Sara Further Viewing: The 6 Essential Ingredients of Loving Relationships  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical For 15% off your first order. Go to https://ZENNI.com/PODCAST and use code PODCAST15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if the antidote to insecurity isn’t looking inward, but reaching outward? This week, Amanda is joined by psychiatrist and attachment expert Dr. Amir Levine to overthink insecurity; where it comes from, why it can feel so consuming, and how it shapes the way we love. Together, they explore how healing happens in connection and how leaning on your support system and surrounding yourself with secure people can help reshape those patterns over time. From overanalyzing texts to fearing abandonment or pulling away entirely, this episode is a thoughtful spiral about connection, self-trust, and learning how to feel safe in community. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Come see Sounds Like A Cult LIVE at The Bell House in New York on April 21st! Tickets at amandamontell.com/events Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Do your own research.” It sounds empowering… so why does it so often lead us straight into confusion, conspiracy, or complete information overload? This week, Amanda is joined by pharmacist and science communicator Dr. Harini Bhat (@tilscience) to overthink what it really means to “do your own research” in the age of the internet. They unpack how a phrase rooted in curiosity became a cultural catchphrase for skepticism, distrust, and DIY fact finding. Why do we feel so confident after reading a few threads or watching a couple of videos? How do algorithms, bias, and the illusion of understanding shape what we think we “know”? And where’s the line between healthy questioning and going down the rabbit hole? A brain bending spiral about knowledge, misinformation, and why thinking critically might be harder (and more necessary) than ever. Further Viewing: Today I Learned Science by Dr. Harini Bhat - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠ https://SHOPIFY.COM/⁠⁠magic⁠⁠al⁠ Shop plans at ⁠https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical Come see Sounds Like A Cult LIVE at The Bell House in New York on April 21st! Tickets at amandamontell.com/events Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why does flirting feel so natural for some people and completely impossible for the rest of us? This week, Amanda is joined by dating coach and relationship expert Francesca Hogi (@dearfranny) to overthink the art and anxiety of flirting. Together they unpack why flirting often gets misunderstood as manipulation or performance, how modern dating apps have scrambled our instincts, and why genuine curiosity might be the most underrated flirting skill of all. From the fear of coming on too strong to the panic of missing signals entirely, they explore the psychology behind attraction and the subtle ways we communicate interest. A playful spiral about eye contact, mixed signals, and why flirting might actually be less about being charming and more about being present. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Amanda Montell takes the mic solo to overthink the creeping sense of doom that seems to hum beneath modern life. Drawing from her Esquire essay on “doomslang,” she unpacks the language we use to joke about collapse, catastrophe, and existential dread... and what those jokes might be revealing about how we’re actually coping. From ironic nihilism to memeified despair, Amanda explores why we’ve turned apocalypse into punchline, how constant crisis reshapes our nervous systems, and whether calling everything “doomed” is a defense mechanism… or a warning. A short spiral about dread, dark humor, and the strange comfort of saying the quiet part out loud.   - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical To learn more about how to support Minnesota’s immigrant communities, check out this MSP Mag article, which shares several ways to offer help or find support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Amanda is joined by psychologist and bestselling author Guy Winch (@guywinch) to overthink workaholism. Why being “busy” feels virtuous, why burnout can masquerade as success, and how overworking often hides deeper emotional needs. Together, they unpack the psychology behind overwork and the quiet ways it can become a socially acceptable addiction. The conversation offers a new lens on why so many of our attempts at “work/life balance” leave us feeling even more depleted and what it might actually take to build a life that feels sustainable instead of performative. A reflective spiral about rest, self-worth, and learning that you are more than what you produce.  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical To learn more about how to support Minnesota’s immigrant communities, check out this MSP Mag article, which shares several ways to offer help or find support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When did canceling plans become a personality trait... and at what cost? This week, Amanda is joined by writer and internet culture expert Kate Lindsay (@kathrynfiona) to overthink being a flake... not as a quirky coping mechanism, but as a habit that can quietly shrink our lives. Together, they explore how chronic flakiness can lead to isolation, weaken our relationships, and negatively impact mental health, especially in the burnout aftermath of the pre-COVID girlboss era that taught us to overextend and then retreat. The conversation traces how exhaustion, overwork, and digital culture have reshaped our tolerance for social effort, and when “protecting your peace” starts to look like opting out entirely. A sobering but compassionate spiral about burnout, loneliness, and the hard work of choosing connection again. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠ https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠ Get 50% off Unlimited premium wireless at ⁠https://MintMobile.com/magical To learn more about how to support Minnesota’s immigrant communities, check out this MSP Mag article, which shares several ways to offer help or find support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why does speaking up feel so terrifying even when we know we’re right? This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by happiness researcher and psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky (@sonjalyubomirsky) to overthink confrontation: why we avoid it, why we rehearse it endlessly in our heads, and why it so often feels riskier than staying silent. Together, they explore what confrontation does to our nervous systems, how fear of conflict gets tangled up with people pleasing and self worth, and when avoiding hard conversations actually costs us more in the long run. A gentle spiral about courage, communication, and learning to trust yourself enough to say the thing out loud. Further Reading: How To Feel Loved by Sonja Lyubomirsky - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to 2026, overthinkers! A question to start off the new year: Are you weirded out by your relationship to your own horniness? This week, Amanda is joined by sex educator, author, and cultural translator Shan Boodram to unpack how physical desire gets shaped by culture, social media, gender, power, and self-image, and why it can feel empowering one moment and deeply shameful or confusing the next. Tune in as they discuss unfiltered listener-submitted questions about wanting too much, wanting too little, and wanting all the “wrong” things. This episode is a gentle spiral about learning to trust what your body is trying to tell you. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical This January, quit overspending on wireless with 50% off Unlimited premium wireless at https://MintMobile.com/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why does looking back feel so sweet, so painful, and so irresistible this time of year? In this special short episode, Amanda takes a moment to reflect on the year of Magical Overthinkers from the fan favorite episodes to the conversations that changed us. Then she reads her Los Angeles Times essay on nostalgia, exploring why we cling to the past, how memory both comforts and distorts us, and what it means to long for a version of life that never quite existed the way we remember it. A gentle closing spiral for the year, filled with gratitude, bittersweetness, and a little hint of what’s coming next season. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why does it feel like every time we open our phones, something is begging us to get angry? This week, just in time for Thanksgiving, host Amanda is joined by theologian, ethics professor, and No Small Endeavor host Lee C. Camp (@leeccamp) to overthink about ragebait; the outrage optimized content designed to divide us, drain us, and keep us doomscrolling. Together, they explore how polarization has turned irritation into entertainment, why we’re so easily pulled into cycles of collective fury, and the surprising antidotes. A reflective spiral about anger, attention, and the radical act of meeting each other beyond the algorithm. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠ https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠ - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amanda is joined by wellness educator and founder of The Being Method MJ Renshaw (@beingmethodbreathwork) to gently spiral about crying: the science, the stigma, and the quiet relief that comes after the tears. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If the algorithm knows what we want before we do… who’s really in charge? This week, host Amanda Montell(@amanda_montell) is joined by linguist, creator, and internet culture observer Adam Aleksic (@etymologynerd) to spiral deep into the invisible yet all powerful force shaping our attention, creativity, politics, and identities: The Algorithm. Why do we talk about it like it’s a god, a ghost, or an ex? Why does it shove us into hyper specific digital rabbit holes no matter how much we resist? And what happens when our digital realities start to diverge so wildly, we can’t agree on the same version of truth? Further Reading: Algospeak by Adam Aleksic    - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re all “holding space,” “setting boundaries,” and “doing the work”, but when does the language of healing start to feel like another script we’re performing? This week, host Amanda Montell is joined by writer and therapist Joe Nucci (@joenuccitherapy) to overthink therapy speak, the vocabulary of mental health that’s seeped into everyday life and the internet alike. Together, they explore how this language can empower us to name our needs, but also how it can flatten complex emotions, mask avoidance as self care, and turn genuine vulnerability into content. A soft spiral about self-awareness, semantics, and the messy truth hiding underneath all those polished words for pain.Further Reading: Psychobabble: Viral Mental Health Myths & the Truths to Set You Free by Joe Nucci, LPC  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why does walking into a room, saying the wrong thing, or laughing too loud feel like the end of the world? This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by journalist and audio producer Alex Sujong Laughlin (@alexlaughs) to spiral about social awkwardness and the tiny stumbles and silences that can feel so major in our heads. Together, they explore what awkwardness reveals about vulnerability, belonging, and the impossible standards we hold ourselves to in social spaces. Is awkwardness a flaw to overcome or proof that we’re trying, reaching, and wanting connection? A gentle spiral into shame, empathy, and the small, crooked ways we show up as ourselves.  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Head to https://Greenchef.com/50MAGICAL and use code 50MAGICAL to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Revenge is one of our oldest fantasies. It's sharp, seductive, but rarely as satisfying as it promises to be. This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by lawyer, author, and Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, James Kimmel Jr. to overthink our obsession with revenge: why it feels so good in theory, why it rarely delivers in practice, and what it reveals about our deepest wounds and longings. Together, they explore how the brain processes revenge almost like an addictive substance - flooding us with momentary relief, then keeping us hooked in a cycle of suffering. From the neuroscience of vengeance to the quiet, radical possibility of letting go, this conversation opens up a gentler path through pain. A soft spiral into anger, control, and the sacred art of breaking the cycle. Further Reading: The Science of Revenge by James Kimmel Jr. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠ ⁠⁠https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠ Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to ⁠https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL⁠ to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Ditz.” It’s a word that sounds harmless, silly, soft-edged, even cute. But underneath it is a long, messy history of gendered judgment. This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by journalist and author Koa Beck (@koabeck) to gently spiral about the cultural construction of ditziness: where the word came from, who it’s been used against, and what it reveals about how we punish femininity for being either too much… or not enough. Together, they unpack how "ditzy" became shorthand for whiteness, blondness, and a very specific kind of Southern California-coded femininity, despite the fact that the so-called “ditz” in pop culture (Elle Woods, Cher Horowitz, Regina George) is often brilliant, strategic, and socially powerful. Is ditziness a stereotype, a defense mechanism, a flirtation tool, or all three? What happens when smart women lean into softness? And how do internalized misogyny and impossible expectations make it feel safer to play dumb than to risk being called bossy, smug, or shrill? A quietly radical spiral into language, performance, and the politics of not being taken seriously on purpose or by accident. Further Reading: White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind By Koa Beck Further Reading: Valley Girl Substack by Koa Beck - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Head to https://Greenchef.com/50MAGICAL and use code 50MAGICAL to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. Head to https://LETSLIVEITUP.com/MAGICAL and use code MAGICAL for 15% off your first Super Greens order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can you be trained by a gaslighter to gaslight yourself? This week, Amanda (@amanda_montell) is joined by Harvard historian and sociologist Rebecca Lemov (@rebeccalemov) to overthink gaslighting, a word that’s become part of our everyday vocabulary, but whose origins and implications run deeper than we realize. Together, they trace gaslighting’s roots in psychology, politics, and culture, and explore how this slow erosion of truth can shape our relationships, our self-trust, and our collective understanding of reality.A quiet spiral about doubt, distortion, and the radical act of believing yourself.   Further Reading: The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper-Persuasion by Rebecca Lemov - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Get this new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should I move or stay where I am? Take the job or turn it down? Text back or disappear into the ocean? This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Vicki Tan (@vickiheart), a digital product designer and author, to gently spiral about indecision: why it’s so hard to choose, what’s actually hiding underneath all that back-and-forth, and how much of it is really fear dressed up as logic.Together, they unpack the mental clutter, perfectionism, and quiet grief that decision making so often stirs up, and ask what it would feel like to choose without trying to be perfect. A spiral into possibility, analysis paralysis, and the sacred mess of not knowing what comes next.Further Reading: Ask This Book A Question by Vicki Tan - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Head to https://Greenchef.com/50MAGICAL and use code 50MAGICAL to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the digital age, the people we feel closest to sometimes don’t even know we exist. This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Jessica Zier and Lizzie Li, PhD students at Northwestern University who study parasocial relationships, to spiral about the emotional life of one-sided intimacy. Together, they explore how digital closeness blurs the line between connection and projection, and why it makes perfect sense that we feel so seen by people who’ve never met us. A soft spiral into loneliness, identity, and the very human instinct to reach for connection, even through a screen. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/Magical to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The case of Amanda, a writer whose internal monologue won't stop narrating her life, instead of just letting her live it. Listen to Proxy with Yowei Shaw Follow Yowei on Instagram @yoweishaw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when the future is something you have to build, but others get to inherit? This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by journalists Wailin Wong and Stacey Vanek Smith (@svaneksmith) to overthink the emotional, historical, and spiritual weight of generational wealth: what it gives, what it withholds, and who it was never designed for. Listen as they explore the systems that have kept generational wealth out of reach for so many marginalized communities, the guilt of those who inherit it and do care, and the quiet alienation of watching others take it for granted.A layered spiral into privilege, precarity, and what it means to want stability in a world that’s never been fair.Further Listening: The Indicator from Planet MoneyFurther Reading: Machiavelli For Women by Stacey Vanek Smith  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Head to https://Greenchef.com/50MAGICAL and use code 50MAGICAL to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping.   Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Go to https://Quince.com/magical for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In an age where everyone has to have a hot take, how does this shape our inner voice? This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by journalist Fortesa Latifi (@hifortesa) to unpack the emotional weight of opinion overload: the pressure to react, post, and declare where we stand before we’ve even had a chance to feel what we feel. Together, they explore what it means to live in a world where silence is suspect, nuance is suspicious, and uncertainty is quietly taboo. What do we lose when we’re expected to be explainable at all times? A soft spiral into the exhaustion of constant takes, the grief of unspoken thoughts, and the quiet rebellion of saying “I don’t know yet.”  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠⁠⁠⁠ For a limited time, get Headspace FREE for 60 days at  https://Headspace.com/MAGICAL Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL⁠⁠⁠⁠ to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today Head to ⁠https://Greenchef.com/50MAGICAL⁠ and use code 50MAGICAL to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How much of who you are is really you—and how much is habit, circumstance, or a story you started telling yourself a long time ago? This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by journalist and author Olga Khazan (@olganator) to explore the strange, sticky concept of personality: where it comes from, why it feels so permanent, and whether we can actually change it. We touch on the appeal of personality frameworks like Myers-Briggs and the Enneagram, but zoom out to ask deeper questions: Do people ever really change, or do we just learn how to act differently? What happens when we no longer feel like the person we’re known to be? A quiet spiral about identity, adaptability, and the mysterious choreography of who we become.Further Reading: Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change by Olga Khazan  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Head to https://Greenchef.com/50MAGICAL and use code 50MAGICAL to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping.  Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠⁠⁠ Check out the Fits Everybody Collection at ⁠⁠https://www.skims.com/magical⁠⁠ #skimspartner Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to⁠⁠⁠ https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL⁠⁠⁠ to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why do we, against all logic, evidence, and bank account balances, still kind of believe that billionaires earned it? This week on Magical Overthinkers, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) sits down with writer and cultural critic Dasia Sade (@dasiadoesit) to unravel the glittery, gaslight-y spell of billionaire worship in America: how it started, who profits from it, and what it’s doing to our collective sense of possibility (and sanity). From Calvinism to Musk, we trace how a stew of religious guilt, PR manipulation, and celebrity obsession shaped a culture where having a billion dollars feels aspirational instead of deeply dystopian. Plus: why most of us can’t actually comprehend how much a billion is, what billionaires are really doing with all that money, and what it might take to finally break the spell (spoiler: it’s not another Forbes profile). - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠⁠ Check out the Fits Everybody Collection at ⁠https://www.skims.com/magical⁠ #skimspartner Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to⁠⁠ https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL⁠⁠ to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at ⁠https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What even is laziness? A moral failing? A personality flaw? Or just capitalism talking? In a culture obsessed with productivity and grindset mentality, the fear of being perceived as “lazy” runs deep—and it’s often weaponized against people who are overwhelmed, burnt out, or simply existing outside the hustle.To help us rethink laziness from a more philosophical (and compassionate) perspective, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Ellie Anderson (@ellieanderphd), philosopher, college professor, and co-host of the podcast Overthink. Together, they explore where our cultural obsession with busyness comes from, how laziness intersects with class and race, and why doing nothing might just be the most radical act of all.Further listening: Overthink podcast with Ellie Anderson and David Peña-Guzmán. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to⁠ https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL⁠ to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical  Make this spring your most delicious yet with Green Chef. Head to https://greenchef.com/50MAGICAL and use code 50MAGICAL to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠ https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is intuition just a fancy word for guesswork, or is it a real, reliable tool we can actually trust? And if it is real, how do we tell the difference between genuine gut feelings and anxiety disguised as instinct? For a phenomenon that’s supposed to be effortless, intuition can spark a lot of magical overthinking. To help untangle it all, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by journalist and author Elizabeth Greenwood (@lizgreenwood4u), whose new book Everyday Intuition explores the science, psychology, and everyday magic of tuning into your inner voice. Together, they dive into how intuition really works, why it's often misunderstood, and how to cultivate it without spiraling into self-doubt.Further reading: Elizabeth Greenwood’s Everyday Intuition (available May 6th!).  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to Our Sponsors: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Check out the Fits Everybody Collection at https://www.skims.com/magical #skimspartner Thrive all year with clean, easy meals from Green Chef. Go to https://GreenChef.com/magicalfree and use code magicalfree to get started with FREE Salads for two months plus 50% off your first box. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The decision to cut someone out of your life—whether a parent, a sibling, or a once-close friend—can feel both deeply necessary and impossibly fraught. But why does going no contact inspire so much shame, confusion, and second-guessing, especially when it’s often a tool for self-preservation? What does it really mean to choose absence over obligation? In this episode, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Jeanette Tran, a professor at Drake University who explores the complexities of estrangement through an unexpected lens: Shakespeare. Drawing from centuries-old drama, Jeanette helps us parse why going no contact still feels so taboo, how literature mirrors (and sometimes distorts) our ideas of family and forgiveness, and why choosing peace can be the most radical act of all. Further reading: Jeanette Tran’s essay “As more Americans go ‘no contact’ with their parents, they live out a dilemma at the heart of Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’” in The Conversation.   - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to Our Sponsors: Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Thrive all year with clean, easy meals from Green Chef. Go to https://GreenChef.com/magicalfree and use code magicalfree to get started with FREE Salads for two months plus 50% off your first box. No matter how you say it, don’t overpay for it. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We live in an era where misinformation spreads faster than ever—shaping our beliefs, fueling our anxieties, and making it nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction. Why are our brains so susceptible to false narratives even when we know better? How do we resist falling for this stuff? And also, where is the line separating misinformation from harmless ~lore~ anyway? In this special episode, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) reads an exclusive excerpt from her new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, diving into the psychology behind misinformation, revealing some mistakes of her own, and exploring the linguistic tricks that make debunking a falsehood so much harder than believing it in the first place. Listen to the full audiobook here: https://bit.ly/48mnRkG Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING by Amanda Montell, read by the author. Copyright © 2024 by Amanda Montell. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. For more, follow @simon.audio on IG and @SimonAudio on FB/X! Overthinker Corrections: From our episode on toxins, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has faced controversy over the years, with critics arguing that it overstates chemical risks, relies on flawed methodologies, and promotes an organic marketing agenda. Despite these concerns, EWG defends its work as being rooted in a mission to protect public health and empower consumers to make safer choices. For those seeking alternative resources to the EWG, consider exploring Consumer Reports for independent product testing and safety insights, and Made Safe for certified non-toxic product recommendations. A couple of points made in our fertility interview—namely, the study about birth control pills disrupting pheromones and the implication that hormonal IUDs and birth control pills can cause the same side effects—are debated. Listen to Science Vs the Pill to learn more. Thanks for your listenership and thoughtful engagement! Overall, we hope this episode inspires more critical conversation and self-advocacy, and less shame, about the thought spiral-inducing subject of fertility  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to Our Sponsors: No matter how you say it, don’t overpay for it. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today Check out the Fits Everybody Collection at https://www.skims.com/magical #skimspartner Cannot use any other commissionable clothing links including, but not limited to, LTK, MagicLinks, Amazon Storefront, ShopMy, etc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Climate anxiety is nothing new, but lately, it feels like the volume has been cranked all the way up. Between record-breaking heat waves, apocalyptic air quality, and the general sense that our leaders are doing basically nothing to stop it, it’s hard not to spiral about the future of our planet. Are we completely doomed? Should we all be prepping for societal collapse? And how do we balance staying informed with not losing our minds? To help us navigate these thought spirals, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Dharna Noor (@thispartysux), a climate journalist who has spent years reporting on environmental policy and corporate accountability. Together, they discuss the myths and realities of climate activism, how to stay engaged without succumbing to total nihilism, and whether it’s still okay to enjoy iced coffee and long showers while the world burns. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to Our Sponsors: Indoor cats and indoor humans agree - Pretty Litter helps my house smell fresh and clean. Go tohttps://PrettyLitter.com/magical to save 20% on your FIRST order and get a free cat toy. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Weddings! They’re supposed to be the "happiest day of your life"... so why do they inspire so much stress, scrutiny, and existential dread? From the absurd cost to the vague standards of "tradition" to the social politics and not-so-subtly gendered pressure to make every detail deeply personal yet universally beloved, modern weddings are a minefield of overthinking. Should one cave to family expectations or take on the creative labor of reimagining the modern wedding from the ground up? Why does the term "bridezilla" feel like a trap? Is throwing a big shebang just consumerist narcissism? And why do we judge people so hard for how they choose to celebrate their partnership?To help untangle these nuptial-flavored thought spirals, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by author, mental health advocate, and longtime wedding overthinker Allison Raskin (@allisonraskin), whose sharp, heartfelt takes on marriage make her the perfect guest for this topic. Together, they unpack the evolving culture of weddings and how to take control of your own matrimonial destiny. Further Reading: I Do (I Think): Conversations About Modern Marriage by Allison Raskin - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to Our Sponsors: Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Go to https://GreenChef.com/magicalfree and use code magicalfree to get started with FREE Salads for two months plus 50% off your first box. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

According to 2023 Pew Research, nearly half of social media users have been politically active on their platforms of choice in the last year. In an era when Instagram, TikTok, and the app formerly known as Twitter aren't just venues for brunch pics and cat memes but have turned into sites for collective action and grassroots organizing, social media activism has become a powerful tool... and a major source of internal conflict. Is engaging in Instagram activism actually effective, or does it just create the illusion of impact? How much of it is just performative, and is performativity always bad? And what about the pressure? If we post, are we overbearing? If we don’t, are we complicit? To help untangle these thought spirals, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) sits down with Leah Thomas (@greengirlleah), an environmental author and creator who has built a massive platform for environmental justice online. Together, they discuss the complexities of social media activism, how "spiritually bankrupt" the space has become, and how we can engage meaningfully—without losing our peace in the process.  Further reading: The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet by Leah Thomas Pew Research Study: Americans’ views of and experiences with activism on social media by Samuel Bestvater, Risa Gelles-Watnick, Meltem Odabaş, Monica Anderson, and Aaron Smith - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is gossip just a petty pastime, or a tool to empower the marginalized? Or both? From ancient hearsay to celebrity blind items to the group chat’s hottest tea, gossip has always been a part of how humans connect, but why does it carry such a negative (gendered) reputation? Host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by journalist, novelist, and Normal Gossip creator Kelsey McKinney (@mckinneykelsey) to unravel the fascinating etymology and moral gray areas of gossip in the digital age. Together, they explore if gossip can be an "addiction," how to get people to gossip with us *more*, if the internet has corrupted gossip's original aims, and whether it’s actually possible to be a good person and still enjoy a little harmless chatter. Further Reading: Kelsey McKinney’s You Didn’t Hear This From Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip (out on February 11th, 2025).  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sharing another podcast we can’t get enough of: Your Mama’s Kitchen. It’s a show about cuisine and culture, ingredients and identities, and the meals and memories that make us who we are. Host Michele Norris talks to Michelle Obama, Glennon Doyle, José Andrés and so many other guests about the complexities of family life and how their earliest culinary experiences helped shape their personal and professional lives. And of course, each guest shares a recipe for a favorite dish from their youth so you can taste a bit of their story. In this episode, Late Show host Stephen Colbert and his wife Evie reminisce on their romcom-worthy meet cute, they share the food they ate growing up in Charleston, North Carolina (hint: lots of seafood), and some of the cooking hiccups they faced as a new couple in their first kitchen. Plus, Stephen teaches us how to make his version of his mama’s fudge – a recipe none of his siblings can agree on.   You can find more Your Mama’s Kitchen at https://lnk.to/yourmamaskitchenMA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Delicate does not even begin to describe this week's topic, and we're so thankful for the vulnerable thought spirals listeners submitted for discussion. The concept of fertility is often surrounded by an overwhelming mix of mystery, pressure, shame, fear, and misinformation—and, if you're fortunate to find it, hope and solidarity, too. From decoding hormones to navigating the emotional and societal complexities of "trying" (or choosing not to), there’s no shortage of material to overthink about. Host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack (@fertilityfriday), certified fertility awareness educator, holistic reproductive health practitioner, and author of three bestselling books on fertility and menstruation. Together, they unpack how fertility awareness can empower us, challenge long-held myths, and shift the way we view reproductive health in the modern world. CORRECTION: A couple of points made in this week’s interview—namely, the study about birth control pills disrupting pheromones and the implication that hormonal IUDs and birth control pills can cause the same side effects—are debated. Listen to Science Vs the Pill to learn more. Thanks for your listenership and thoughtful engagement! Overall, we hope this episode inspires more critical conversation and self-advocacy, and less shame, about the thought spiral-inducing subject of fertility ❤️ Further Reading: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack’s The Fifth Vital Sign - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thank you to our sponsors! Indoor cats and indoor humans agree - Pretty Litter helps my house smell fresh and clean. Go to https://PrettyLitter.com/magical to save 20% on your FIRST order and get a free cat toy. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why do some of us feel the overwhelming urge to say yes, smooth things over, and keep everyone around us happy—even at our own expense? And why does it sometimes feel... kind of manipulative? Is people pleasing just kindness in overdrive, or is there something deeper (or even darker) at work? Host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) invites author, former therapist, and self-proclaimed sociopath Patric Gagne (@patricgagne) to untangle the messy knot of motives behind people pleasing. With the help of listener-submitted thought spirals, they explore the fine line between compassion and control, the traumas that might fuel this behavior, and how to rid your life of "pathological over-accommodation" once and for all.     Further Reading: Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever scrolled through LinkedIn or Instagram, and someone you know—a peer, an ex-coworker, a high school nemesis—just landed a dream job, got a promotion, or launched a project. And with one post, which objectively has little to do with you, that sinking sour feeling of career jealousy sends you into a self-worth spiral. Is career jealousy inevitable in the age of curated success stories? And is it something we can overcome? Host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by seasoned HR expert Daniel Space (@danfromhr) to break down this all-too-relatable phenomenon, offering both practical advice and thought-provoking insights on managing career FOMO and reclaiming your own unique path. Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Head over to https://Masterclass.com/MAGICAL for the current offer, up to 50% off. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Making friends as an adult can be confusing, awkward, and—let's be real—embarrassingly hard. Why is it that something that came so naturally on the playground feels like pulling teeth now? Is it just a symptom of getting older and more curmudgeonly, or does it reveal something deeper about our culture, our priorities, and even our fears? To help us untangle the magical overthinking of adult friendships, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Anna Goldfarb (@annagoldfarb), journalist and author of Modern Friendship. Together, they discuss why so many grown-ups feel friendless and what we can do to bounce back in a time when community is more important than ever. *Sends “friendship calendar invite.” Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Head over to https://Masterclass.com/MAGICAL for the current offer, up to 50% off. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What could be more ripe for thought spirals than the concept of tiny, invisible poisons secretly lurking in our food, clothes, and the air we breathe? With such mystery, misinformation, and conspiracy surrounding "toxins"—everything from forever chemicals in our sparkling water to carcinogens in our skincare—it's impossible not to overthink about them. To help soothe our noxious spiraling on the subject, we're pleased to welcome a very special guest Dr. Denise Montell, a cancer researcher at the University of California Santa Barbara and host Amanda's (@amanda_montell) very own mother. Mother Montell joins the pod to answer a plethora of unfiltered, listener-submitted questions on the relationship between our bodies and the environment, and what we can do to limit our "toxic" exposure while protecting our precious mental health. Get an additional 15% off any annual membership at https://masterclass.com/MAGICAL - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big question: Is life in the ever-disembodied digital era changing our attitudes toward death? Already, Americans' relationship to mortality is terribly distant—but how do phenomena like social media, the brandification of the apocalypse, and technology-assisted modes of "cheating death" further widen that divide? Just in time for Halloween, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by a personal idol of hers, Sloane Crosley, New York Times-bestselling author of several books including the recent memoir Grief Is for People, for the ultimate magical overthinker's discussion of death in the Information Age.   This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/MAGICAL and get on your way to being your best self. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is it just us, or do thought spirals about the forthcoming American presidential election seem to hum in the background of nearly every quotidien conversation these days? When asked to submit their overthinkiest thoughts on the matter, listeners had lots to say: Is it wrong to feel hope? Is it wrong to feel fatalistic? Would a Kamala Harris win provoke civil war? Why are we still tolerating the two-party system? How can we communicate with our family members who plan to vote differently or not at all? Are we screwed either way? Do we need to move to Canada? To help dial down the temperature on our election-centric magical overthinking, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by former Obama speechwriter, Crooked Media co-founder, and host of the podcasts Pod Save America and Offline, Jon Favreau (@jfavs). Further Reading: How Trump Could Ban Abortion  Upgrade your business and get the same checkout Amanda uses. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at https://Shopify.com/magical (all lowercase) Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At the opening assembly of host Amanda Montell's Baltimore public arts high school, whose student body featured a wide range of socioeconomic and racial backgrounds, the vice principal gave an address that encouraged everyone listening to "have grit." No matter what you're going through at school or at home, in the face of adversity, keep your nose down and your chin up. Be resilient. This always stuck out as a complicated piece of one-size-fits-all advice. In our ever-complicating society, as we increasingly center critiques of systemic injustice and legitimize mental health discourse, how is our relationship to "resilience" changing? Journalist Soraya Chemaly (@sorayachemaly), author of The Resilience Myth, joins Amanda (@amanda_montell) to help us better understand the concepts of grit, optimism, and the not-infrequent desire to just give up all "resilience" and break down. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/MAGICAL and get on your way to being your best self. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's more than side parts, skinny jeans, and the way you make a heart symbol with your hands—"millennial cringe" is the breed of shame exclusive to a generation that had about .0001 seconds of glory in between their status as entitled babies and out-of-touch olds. But is the cross-generational roast of adults who suck at #adulting, those born roughly between 1982 and 1997, just garden-variety ageism, or is the millennial plight more profound than that? Host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by the brilliant high priestess of millennial culture, Kate Kennedy (@katekennedy)—host of the Be There In Five podcast and author of "One in a Millennial"—to unpack these Lisa Frank-tinted thought spirals.  Go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at https://Shopify.com/magical (all lowercase) This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/MAGICAL and get on your way to being your best self. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When life here on earth feels painful, we often look to the sky for comfort, answers, and escapism. Thinking about what’s out there can inspire so many forms of magical overthinking: awe, fantasy, paranoia, religiosity, even UFO conspiracy theories. This week’s thought spirals take us away from our planet’s problems and into outer space. There, we’re joined by astrophysicist and folklorist, Dr. Moiya McTier (@goastromo), who’s indulging host Amanda Montell’s (@amanda_montell) overthinkiest questions about aliens, deep space, science fiction, and how pondering the cosmos might actually be a cure for some of the digital age’s most frustrating irrationalities. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before the internet, getting lost in a spiral of romantic, obsessive feelings for someone was already an all-consuming experience… but now? With algorithmic dating apps and the ability to overanalyze everyone watching your Instagram Stories, crushes in the digital age are ripe for delulu. In some cases, they might even pose a threat to IRL human connection. This week on the pod, OCD specialist Alegra Kastens (@alegrakastens) joins host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) for an open-hearted, all-too-relatable discussion of limerence, neurodivergence, and how crushes have combined with the social media era to produce a perfectly chaotic cocktail of magical overthinking. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. - Sources: What causes a crush to develop? - bit.ly/3Z0G4SC Is it a crush or have you fallen into limerence? - nyti.ms/3WS2KSB Why your internet crush can be stronger than your in-person feelings - bit.ly/3WWRIv9 Office crushes can be fun and excruciating - bit.ly/4dUhvvc Why crushes are so common, and healthy, at all ages - bit.ly/3Xc1fzT To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Taylor Swift's "Lavendergate" scandal to One Direction conspiracy theories colonizing adolescents' personalities, celebrity fandom appears more hallucinatory and brutal now than ever before... or are we overthinking it? A few stats about celebrity worship have been confirmed: In 2019, a Japanese study found that ~30 percent of adolescents aspired to emulate a media figure, as opposed to an IRL role model. A 2021 study measured that celebrity worship had increased dramatically since two decades prior. During times of both global and personal crisis, our culture has increasingly looked to celebrities not only to entertain us, but to save us, and as social media brings us "closer" to our favs than ever, performative online personas exacerbate the illusion of "mother" status. But cycles of celebrity worship and dethronement have grown hostile, and when the stakes of these obsessions range from Dolly Parton to Donald Trump, from Jane Fonda to Ronald Reagan, we have to ask: Is it healthy to elevate entertainers to such pedestals? Why have our expectations of pop stars gotten so high? And even though the dehumanization side of fame seems downright miserable, why do so many fans still crave a taste of it for themselves? New York Times opinion columnist Jessica Grose joins for a sparkling discussion of celebrity worship. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. - Sources: Celebrity admiration vs. obsession: New study sheds light on stalking behaviors: https://bit.ly/4ftx0f7 When did we start taking famous people seriously?: https://nyti.ms/4dehd25 More sources in the end notes of The Age of Magical Overthinking, Chapter 1: "Are You My Mother Taylor Swift" To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the work-specific euphemism "layoff" was first coined in the 19th century, it indicated "respite" or "relaxation." But layoffs in 2024 are anything but. It's almost impossible not to spiral after getting "let go," "phased out," "reduced in force." In a culture that makes hiring and company culture extremely personal, being laid off out of nowhere can feel like getting dumped by the love of your life... except the love of your life happens to be both your income source and, as it turns out, an entity that never actually cared about you that way. Doomy layoff vibes seem to pervade contemporary job discourse, but are layoffs as much of a crisis as they seem? How's a person to know the career path they chose wasn't one big mistake? And after getting laid off, how can one manage to drum up a sense of motivation ever again?? To help us wrap our heads around this overwhelm, host Amanda (amanda_montell) is joined by emotional investigative journalist, NPR layoff survivor, and host of the Proxy podcast, Yowei Shaw (@yoweishaw). - Catch Amanda on book tour! July 29, 7pm: Seattle, WA — The Age of Magical Overthinking talk and signing at Elliott Bay Book Company (free, no RSVP needed)- Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You log onto Instagram and within five seconds of scrolling, your algorithm has your self-esteem in a death grip. It serves you: 1) an old classmate's engagement announcement, 2) another carousel of glamorous vacation pics, 3) a random influencer looking flawless on a rooftop... and now, you feel like garbage. These people have NOTHING to do with your life, and yet social media has forced them into your brain space. What's worse? Their beauty, wealth, and success seem to be directly depleting yours. What causes us to irrationally compare-despair on platforms like Instagram and TikTok? Is there an evolutionary explanation? And how can we feel better? Joining host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) are two special guests, here to help soothe our thought spirals surrounding social media comparison: Jemma Sbeg (@jemmasbeg), host of The Psychology of Your 20s podcast, and Britt Frank (@britt_frank), neuropsychotherapist and author of The Science of Stuck. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking, or listen to the audiobook. - Sources:  Zero-Sum Bias: Perceived Competition Despite Unlimited Resources - bit.ly/4drkHhQ Gendered Influence of Downward Social Comparisons on Current and Possible Selves - bit.ly/3XavUh9 Shine Theory: Why Powerful Women Make the Greatest Friends - bit.ly/3Xak9XU To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chronically stressed? Emotionally exhausted? Depleted to the point of physical suffering, dissociation, and paranoia that things will never improve?? Welcome to today's woefully relatable topic, burnout, which is not just fatigue or boredom but rather what happens when our bodies fail to complete the "stress response cycle." That's according to our brilliant and delightful guest, Amelia Nagoksi, co-author of the bestselling book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. With wisdom and charisma, Amelia joins host Amanda (@amanda_montell) to soothe our thought spirals about how American capitalist society is fundamentally clashing with the human spirit... and what we can do to quell burnout's negative effects.  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking, or listen to the audiobook. - Sources:  Burnout: The secret to unlocking the stress cycle - bit.ly/4czkdoO You might be part of 'The Great Exhaustion' - bit.ly/3AAbghF It’s not a contest: Bragging about your work stress - bit.ly/3AAbmpx Cold-Water Immersion Facilitates Positive Affect - bit.ly/46Wmd9i To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1978, psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes published the first study on imposter syndrome—originally termed “imposter phenomenon”—about high-achieving women feeling like frauds at work… and it struck a major nerve. The study kicked off decades of frenzied discourse, programs, and merch aimed at curing women of this irrational feminine disease. Among the proposed treatments included professional development conferences, self-help books like The Imposter Cure, and power poses. Use of the term imposter syndrome has only increased, but I have questions. Like… why are these conversations so gendered? Does anyone NOT experience imposter syndrome? Is it really a diagnosable “syndrome” in the first place? And either way, how can we stop feeling this way? Psychiatrist and author of “Real Self Care” Dr. Pooja Lakshmin (@poojalakshmin) joins host Amanda (@amanda_montell) for this week’s brain-soothing discussion. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking, or listen to the audiobook. - Sources:  Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome - bit.ly/3SZiBhb Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome - bit.ly/3ArrKbF All Imposters Aren't Alike - bit.ly/4dSrz7H A Cultural Impostor? Native American Experiences of Impostor Phenomenon in STEM - bit.ly/3SU95f9 To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If we can love our children and friends separately but equally, why not our romantic partners? Such is one of the many compelling thought exercises in favor of polyamory, a relationship structure that is by no means new, but has experienced an explosive recent surge in popular media, starring everywhere from New Yorker thinkpieces to reality shows like Couple to Throuple. Interrogations of monogamy as the default approach to love have become more mainstream than ever, though representations aren't always the most inclusive. In a society shaped by centuries of "amatonormativity," dipping a toe into the waters of polyamory can feel scary, or at least taboo. It's easy to lose yourself in thought spirals on the subject (Is polyamory more "natural" than monogamy? Why do some people make being "poly" their whole personality? Who even has time for multiple partners? Is it prude to think this way?). To help us puzzle through the confusion, philosopher and host of the Overthink podcast Dr. Ellie Anderson (@ellieanderphd) joins host Amanda (@amanda_montell) for a sparkling discussion. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking, or listen to the audiobook. - Sources:  Polyamory educator Leanne Yau - bit.ly/3WS4NGh How Did Polyamory Become So Popular? - bit.ly/3WSNDrX Knitting brings calmness and structure to the lives of people with mental illness - bit.ly/4dSBBWt To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is it just us, or does American culture have narcissism fever? Thanks to factors like the rise of therapyspeak, TikTok mental health diagnoses, and badly behaving reality stars-turned-world leaders, discourse about this buzzy, yet poorly understood phenomenon has exploded. Are we as a society becoming more narcissistic? Or are we now over-using and misusing this term to the point of meaninglessness? Wait, is obsessing about other people's narcissism its own kind of narcissism? In an effort to soothe these thought spirals, host Amanda (@amanda_montell) settled in for an illuminating chat with her debut guest, psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula (@doctorramani), author of the New York Times bestseller "It's Not You." Tune in for a relatable, brain-tingling discussion, complete with questions submitted by the "Magical Overthinkers Club" and bits of wisdom to help us overthinkers get out of our own heads.  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking, or listen to the audiobook. - Sources:  What Is Narcissism? Science Confronts a Widely Misunderstood Phenomenon - https://bit.ly/3YEPhjt Time grows on trees: The effect of nature settings on time perception - https://bit.ly/4dD4vdf Therapist Aisha's Instagram To watch the podcast on YouTube: bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube  Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you an overthinker? Prone to thought spirals? Do you wonder why, despite living in the "Information Age," life only seems to be making less sense? From extreme celebrity worshippers to people with master’s degrees basing their real-life choices on Mercury’s whereabouts, there seems to be a lot of delulu out there these days. More than ever, in fact. Enter: This relatable, thought-provoking podcast for curious overthinkers. Every other week, tune in as host Amanda Montell, author of the New York Times bestselling book The Age of Magical Overthinking and host of the Sounds Like A Cult podcast, interviews a brilliant expert guest about a buzzy, confounding, anxiety-provoking topic. Think: narcissism, nostalgia, polyamory, social media comparison, "millennial cringe." Complete with heart-on-their-sleeve personal stories, thought-provoking conversations, and actionable takeaways for how chronically online listeners can get out of their own heads, this podcast is here to make some sense of the senseless. To help quiet the cacophony in our brains for a while. Or even hear a melody in it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices