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

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

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