Amanda Montell - Podcast Details

Shows

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About WorkaholismThis 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...

2026-02-1848 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Being A FlakeWhen 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...

2026-02-0448 min

Culture Changers with Allison Hare Is Everything A Cult? Amanda Montell Unpacks Our Obsession.Is everything a cult? Or are we just finally noticing how belief actually works?This conversation cracked something open for me around why we get pulled into certain ideas, identities, and systems and why leaving them can feel way harder than joining. I’m sitting down with Amanda Montell, whose work sits at the intersection of cult psychology, language, and cultural influence. We talk about how words shape belief, how cognitive biases sneak into everyday life, and why so many of us are obsessed with cult stories right now. Fair warning: after this episode, you may start seeing cu...

2026-01-2250 min

This Feels Bi Theatre Camp Feels Bi with Amanda MontellTheatre *feels bi.* Camp *feels bi.* What happens when you combine an artistic space ripe with queerness and a coming-of-age phenomenon? Something *really freaking bi*! Whether it's because it was the site of a queer awakening, or we just couldn't stop belting songs from "Rent," there's just something queer about theatre camp that we can't shake (nor do we want to). We're joined by theater camp alum, host of the Magical Overthinkers and Sounds Like a Cult podcast, and bestie of the pod, Amanda Montell as we dive into all the bi vibes we felt from camp oh so...

2026-01-221h 00

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About ConfrontationWhy 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 le...

2026-01-2146 min

Morbidly Curious Book Club Podcast ARCHIVE: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, with the author Amanda MontellWelcome to an archive episode!Check out our new website: morbidlycuriousbookclub.comEarly and ad-free for Patreon members: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClubIn 2024, I launched this podcast to delve deeper into our book club's nonfiction selections by engaging directly with the authors, the experts behind these compelling works. However, the book club has been around since 2021...so there are some 'archive' picks that we need to discuss!In January of 2022, we read CULTISH: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell a,nd it has become a staple in the...

2026-01-1457 min

The One You Feed The Age of Magical Overthinking: Why Our Minds Keep Doubling Down with Amanda MontellIn this episode, Amanda Montell explores the age of magical overthinking and why our minds keep doubling down. She discusses how cognitive biases and irrational thinking shape our perceptions and behaviors in the information age. Amanda also explains shine theory, zero-sum and sunk cost biases, and the allure of manifestation and conspiracy thinking. Through personal stories and humor, Amanda and Eric discuss how understanding these mental patterns can help us navigate modern life more consciously and compassionately. Exciting News!!!Coming in March 2026, my new book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life is now av...

2026-01-131h 03

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About HorninessWelcome 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 i...

2026-01-0754 min

This Feels Bi Wicked Feels Bi with Amanda MontellSomething WICKED this way comes… That's right, bi babes, this week Amanda and Erin are joined by bestie of the pod, New York Times Best-Selling author, host of the MAGICAL OVERTHINKERS and SOUNDS LIKE A CULT podcasts, and former theater kid Amanda Montell to dive into the movies, musical, book, and social phenomenon, WICKED. Whether it's the titillating love triangle, Fiyero's pansexuality, the seemingly sapphic press tour, or Elphaba's infamous sex cardigan, we don't need to consult the Grimmerie to deduce that Wicked feels very... VERY bi. Join us as we ask questions like "what IS this feeling between El...

2025-12-111h 10

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About NostalgiaWhy 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, a...

2025-12-1022 min

A Little Bit Culty Amanda Montell: Cultish and Coded Language, Revisited (Part 1)Amanda Montell—author, linguist, and our reigning three-time champion guest—returns in studio to talk about the newly released paperback edition of Cultish, the book that launched a thousand cult-discourse hot takes and made us all think twice about our SoulCycle memberships. We dove into what it's like to write a cult book when you're 27, watch it blow up unexpectedly, and face the onslaught of feedback (good, bad, and "I want to ruin your life"). Amanda opened up about the changes she made for the paperback after years of listening, learning, and hiring her own s...

2025-12-0835 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About RagebaitWhy 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 bey...

2025-11-2646 min $So Bad It\'s Good with Ryan Bailey$

2025-11-251h 20

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About CryingAmanda 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 do...

2025-11-1247 min

This Feels Bi Halloween Feels Bi with Amanda MontellWhat do Halloween and being bi have in common? The stereotypical "hedonism" and "debauchery," the duality, the queering of gender performance, and obviously the ghost girl that haunts the back of our sapphic mind-house. In this episode, Amanda and Erin are joined by New York Times best-selling author and host of the MAGICAL OVERTHINKERS and SOUNDS LIKE A CULT podcasts, Amanda Montell, to discuss the beloved, spooktacular, and yes, very bi-coded holiday of HALLOWEEN. We'll pose questions like "what's the most bi Halloween costume you've ever dressed up as?" and "what Disney villains are power bottoms?" Halloween lovers and...

2025-10-3044 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About The AlgorithmIf 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...

2025-10-2942 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Therapy-SpeakWe’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 hid...

2025-10-1549 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Social AwkwardnessWhy 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, emp...

2025-10-0147 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About RevengeRevenge 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...

2025-09-1746 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Ditziness“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-calle...

2025-09-031h 12

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About GaslightingCan 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: Br...

2025-08-2047 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About IndecisionShould 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 choos...

2025-08-061h 00

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Parasocial RelationshipsIn 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 scre...

2025-07-231h 08

Magical Overthinkers Amanda and the Nonstop NarratorThe 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

2025-07-1656 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Generational WealthWhat 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...

2025-07-091h 23

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Opinion OverloadIn 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 sof...

2025-06-2551 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About PersonalityHow 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 diff...

2025-06-1153 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Billionaire WorshipWhy 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 deep...

2025-05-281h 03

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About LazinessWhat 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, a...

2025-05-141h 06

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About IntuitionIs 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 intuitio...

2025-04-3052 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Going "No Contact"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 go...

2025-04-1659 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About MisinformationWe 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 ling...

2025-04-0242 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About The World BurningClimate 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 spe...

2025-03-1957 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About WeddingsWeddings! 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...

2025-03-0558 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Social Media ActivismAccording 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...

2025-02-191h 00

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About GossipIs 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...

2025-02-051h 01

Libro.fm Podcast Amanda Montell (Cultish) and Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (Catalina) LIVE panel @ The Texas Book FestivalRecorded live at the 2024 Texas Book Festival in Austin, this episode features authors Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (The Undocumented Americans, Catalina) and Amanda Montell (Cultish, The Age of Magical Overthinking). The authors discuss narrating their own audiobooks, touching on everything from incorporating humor and emotion to the challenges of audiobook production. They also offer advice for first-time narrators, discuss the nuances of audiobooks compared to print, and reflect on how their distinct styles shape the listening experience. Watch the live video recording here Read the full transcript: Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up...

2025-01-2800 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About FertilityDelicate 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...

2025-01-221h 09

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About People PleasingWhy 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 beha...

2025-01-0857 min

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms BEST OF: Fresh Take: Amanda Montell and the Age of Magical OverthinkingCognitive biases are self-deceptive thought patterns we all use to make sense of the world. In a world that makes less and less sense, Amanda Montell argues, humans have become more irrational than ever. In her new book THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING, Montell explains how our brains' coping mechanisms have become overloaded—and how to slow down our panic responses when the world becomes too overwhelming.Amanda, Amy, and Margaret discuss: How magical overthinking has manifested from the modern age of mass information overload and an epidemic of loneliness The types of cognitive biases that co...

2025-01-0339 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Career JealousyHave 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 thoug...

2024-12-111h 07

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Adult FriendshipsMaking 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 bo...

2024-11-271h 05

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About ToxinsWhat 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 plet...

2024-11-131h 05

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About DeathBig 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...

2024-10-3054 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About The ElectionIs 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...

2024-10-1659 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About ResilienceAt 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...

2024-10-021h 01

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Millennial CringeIt'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...

2024-09-181h 03

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About UFOsWhen 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 ag...

2024-09-0459 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About CrushesBefore 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 ov...

2024-08-2158 min

Pulling The Thread with Elise Loehnen Why We Overthink (Amanda Montell)Amanda Montell is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, as well as Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism and Wordslut. Amanda is a linguistics major from NYU and all of her work centers around the way that words—and thoughts—shape our minds, and how our minds are permeable to other factors, whether it’s the halo effect, confirmation bias, or Cult-like sensibilities. Amanda is also the host of a podcast, “Sounds like a Cult.” Okay, let’s get to our conversation.MORE FROM AMANDA MONTE...

2024-08-1543 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Celebrity WorshipFrom 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 soc...

2024-08-0759 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About LayoffsWhen 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 per...

2024-07-241h 01

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Social Media ComparisonYou 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 c...

2024-07-101h 08

Talks at Google Amanda Montell | The Age of Magical OverthinkingNew York Times Bestselling author Amanda Montell visits Google to discuss her book "The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality." "Magical thinking" can be broadly defined as the belief that one's internal thoughts can affect unrelated events in the external world - think of the conviction that one can manifest their way out of poverty, stave off cancer with positive vibes, or thwart the apocalypse by learning to can their own peaches. In all its forms, magical thinking works in service of restoring agency amid chaos, but Montell argues that in the modern information age...

2024-07-0232 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About BurnoutChronically 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...

2024-06-261h 06

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About Imposter SyndromeIn 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 diagnosabl...

2024-06-121h 09

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About MonogamyIf 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...

2024-05-291h 04

Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria Magical Overthinking w/ Amanda MontellThis episode of Talk Nerdy is a live recording from Toronto Public Library’s virtual event, The Age of Magical Overthinking | Amanda Montell & Cara Santa Maria. Amanda is a podcaster and the author of “The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality.” We discuss what’s at stake when the psychological tools that once served us short-circuit. Follow Amanda: @amanda_montell

2024-05-2755 min

Magical Overthinkers Overthinking About NarcissismIs 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 (@doct...

2024-05-1558 min

Magical Overthinkers Introducing Magical OverthinkersAre 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...

2024-05-0802 min

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms Fresh Take: Amanda Montell and the Age of Magical OverthinkingCognitive biases are self-deceptive thought patterns we all use to make sense of the world. In a world that makes less and less sense, Amanda Montell argues, humans have become more irrational than ever. In her new book THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING, Montell explains how our brains' coping mechanisms have become overloaded—and how to slow down our panic responses when the world becomes too overwhelming.Amanda, Amy, and Margaret discuss: How magical overthinking has manifested from the modern age of mass information overload and an epidemic of loneliness The types of cognitive biases that co...

2024-04-1939 min

Poured Over Amanda Montell on THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKINGThe Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell combines witty and playful analyses of the way our brains work in the nonstop information age with personal stories that will make readers feel like talking to a best friend. Montell joins us to talk about the truth about cognitive biases, her extensive research process, the effects our society has on our thinking and more with guest host, Jenna Seery. We end this episode with TBR Topoff book recommendations from Marc and Jamie. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Jenna Seery and mixed by Harry Liang.                    New episodes land Tuesdays and Thurs...

2024-04-1850 min

Enjoy Selection of Full Audiobooks in Fiction & Literature, General Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality - Amanda MontellListen to this audiobook in full for free onhttps://epod.spaceTitle: Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern IrrationalityAuthor: Amanda MontellNarrator: Amanda MontellFormat: UnabridgedLength: 6:02:35Language: EnglishRelease date: 04-11-2024Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers UKGenres: Non-Fiction, Self Development, Health & Wellness, Psychology, Social ScienceSummary:In the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our irrationality turned up to eleven. Amanda Montell blends cultural criticism and personal narrative to explore our modern cognitive biases and the po...

2024-04-116h 02

Free Audiobook: Because Folding Laundry Is More Exciting With a Story Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality - Amanda MontellListen to this audiobook in full for free onhttps://hotaudiobook.com/freeTitle: Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern IrrationalityAuthor: Amanda MontellNarrator: Amanda MontellFormat: UnabridgedLength: 6:05:09Language: EnglishRelease date: 04-09-2024Publisher: Simon & Schuster AudioGenres: Biography & Memoir, Non-Fiction, Psychology, Social ScienceSummary:INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the bestselling author of Cultish and host of the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, a delicious blend of cultural criticism and personal narrative that explores our cognitive biases and the power...

2024-04-096h 05

Wrong Turns with Jameela Jamil I Weigh - The Age of Magical Overthinking with Amanda MontellJoin Jameela and author, linguist & podcast host Amanda Montell (Sounds Like a Cult) for a conversation about the inner workings of our human brains: our anxieties, information overload and how we cannot manifest our way out of poverty, illness or the apocalypse. You’ll hear why we are obsessed with nostalgia, fandom and parasocial relationships and (thankfully!) why Amanda is hopeful for the future. Follow Amanda on IG @amanda_montell and find her book The Age of Magical Overthinking amandamontell.com/If you have a Wrong Turn of your own to shar...

2024-04-091h 07

Free Audiobooks in Biography & Memoir, Memoirs The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda MontellPlease visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/708838 to listen full audiobooks. Title: The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality Author: Amanda Montell Narrator: Amanda Montell Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 6 hours 5 minutes Release date: April 9, 2024 Ratings: Ratings of Book: 4 of Total 9 Genres: Memoirs Publisher's Summary: INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the bestselling author of Cultish and host of the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, a delicious blend of cultural criticism and personal narrative that explores our cognitive biases and the power, disadvantages, and highlights of magical thinking. Utilizing the linguistic insights of her “witty and brilliant” (Blyth Roberson, auth...

2024-04-0903 min

Rethinking Wellness Magical Overthinking, Misinformation, and the Cultishness of Wellness Culture with Amanda MontellThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rethinkingwellness.substack.comWriter and linguist Amanda Montell joins us to discuss “magical overthinking” and the cognitive biases that make us vulnerable to misinformation, celebrity culture and its intersections with wellness culture, how to deal with panic headlines, cultish language to watch out for in wellness spaces, and more. Paid subscribers can hear the full interview, and the first part is available to all listeners. To upgrade to paid, go to rethinkingwellness.substack.com. Amanda Montell is a writer and lingui...

2024-04-0847 min

The Bechdel Cast Poor Things with Amanda MontellThis week, poor things Jamie, Caitlin, and special guest Amanda Montell discuss Poor Things! Here's the link to the Polygon piece "The book Poor Things is based on is even stranger than the film" -- https://www.polygon.com/24093718/poor-things-hulu-oscars-book-differences Follow Amanda on Instagram at @amanda_montell and @soundslikeacultpod, and order her book here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Age-of-Magical-Overthinking/Amanda-Montell/9781668007976 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2024-04-041h 48

The Cult Vault Ep. 301 Interview with Amanda Montell - Episode 83 RemasteredIn this remastered episode, I sit down with Amanda Montell to discuss her book "Cultish" along with her inugral publication "Wordslut". Amanda talks about how she became interested in Cults and Extremism, the research that went into the book and what people can expect to read about within the popular book. Amanda's Website - Amanda Montell – Writer. Author. Linguist.June's Journey - June's Journey – Solve Mysteries (wooga.com)Get in Touch or Support:Patreon - patreon.com/thecultvaultCrimecon UK 2024 - https://www.crimecon.co.uk - use code CULT for 10% off tickets!

2024-02-1050 min

Normal Gossip "Emily in Paris" Meets "Parasite" with Amanda MontellWe're going abroad for a long-awaited au pair adventure with writer and podcast host Amanda Montell! Follow Amanda on Instagram @amanda_montell and make sure to pre-order her book, The Age of Magical Overthinking. You can support Normal Gossip directly by buying merch or becoming a Friend or a Friend-of-Friend at supportnormalgossip.com. Our merch shop is run by Dan McQuade. You can also find all kinds of info about us and how to submit gossip on our Komi page: https://normalgossip.komi.io/ Episode transcript here. Follow the...

2023-11-151h 01

The Preamble How to Tell When You've Joined a Cult with Amanda MontellToday on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon is joined by author Amanda Montell to talk about all things cultish. There isn’t always a standard definition of a cult, but there are things to look for, and we’ve all fallen for cultish practices or groups before. Language is often used as a tool of influence, like thought-terminating cliches, mantra phrases that are used to shut down independent thinking or questioning. Cultish leaders also take advantage of people by relying on our confirmation biases. We may think we couldn’t be fooled into joining a cult, but human na...

2023-07-2436 min

Your Friend on the Ground Amanda Montell: BolognaAmanda Montell is the bestselling author of Cultish and Wordslut; her third book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, is coming soon. We talk about Bologna, "earning lunch," travel journaling, Puritanical shame, portico tattoos, Americanos, aperitivo as a religion, "shroomy" epiphanies, ragu, bathing in Lambrusco, Bologna's version of the Soho House, and more. Follow Amanda 🌍 https://www.instagram.com/amanda_montell/ https://amandamontell.com/ https://linktr.ee/soundslikeacult Follow us ✈️ https://www.instagram.com/yourfriendontheground/ https://www.instagram.com/sheilaym/

2023-07-1248 min

SSJCPL Podcast Network Book with a View: Cultish by Amanda MontellWelcome back to the Goodreads Virtual Book Club/A Book with a View podcast! This month we read Cultish by Amanda Montell. What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already h...

2023-02-0849 min

QUESTION EVERYTHING Wordslut: Sexist Language + How it Shapes Us: with Linguist Amanda MontellLANGUAGE + POWER, GENDER, RACE: Linguist and writer Amanda Montell is here to discuss reclaiming gendered insults, cursing, women's linguistic innovation, sexism in our language and owning your own voice. She is the author of two critically acclaimed books, Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language and Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism She is also a creator and host of the hit podcast, Sounds Like A Cult. Today she joins PRETTYSMART to expand on her book Wordslut. She wants you to feel empowered by language instead of silenced by it. She shares: Why young...

2023-01-2649 min

Wrong Turns with Jameela Jamil Cults with Amanda MontellAuthor and podcaster Amanda Montell joins Jameela this week discuss all things cults. They cover what makes a cult vs. what makes something cult-ish, what to be on the look out for when assessing if something is a cult (or cult-ish), the dangers of large cults or the cult of one, the cultish qualities of the diet and wellness industries, and more. Listen to Amanda's podcast - Sounds Like a Cult - wherever you get your podcastsFollow Amanda on Instagram @amanda_montell If you have...

2023-01-131h 05

Sex With Emily Become a Wordslut w/ Amanda MontellOn any given day, how do you talk about sex? Do you bone? Screw? Make love? According to my guest Amanda Montell, author of Wordslut, Cultish, and host of the podcast “Sounds Like a Cult,” the words we use to discuss sex reveals our attitudes about sex as a whole – even shaping the way we show up in the bedroom. In this fascinating best of episode, Amanda and I talk about sex slang and body part euphemisms, like the fact that we frequently cute-ify female genitals to make them less threatening. But before you go, “oh this is thi...

2022-05-2751 min

heretics.The language of 'brain-washing' in cults | Amanda MontellAmanda Montell is an American author and linguist, and she is here to talk about cults.Amanda Montell links:https://twitter.com/amandamontell?lang=eshttps://www.amazon.com/-/es/Amanda-Montell/dp/0062993151http://amandamontell.comhttps://www.instagram.com/amanda_montell/?hl=esAndrew Gold links:http://youtube.com/andrewgold1http://instagram.com/andrewgold_okhttp://twitter.com/andrewgold_okSuscribe to the newsletter at http://weeklyedge.substack.com

2022-04-1859 min

A Little Bit Culty ALBC at SXSW with Sarah Berman & Amanda MontellA Little Bit Culty – A Little Bit Culty took the show on the road, and brought you back this season 3 finale from Texas as a souvenir. In this episode, Sarah and Nippy host a live panel with Sarah Berman and Amanda Montell, in front of a real, actual human crowd of SXSW-certified cool kids. But first, the hosts celebrate the birthday of a certain golden boy, and respond to all the “Bad Vegan” hullaballoo. Lots to cover in this one, so let’s hit it. About Our Guests: Amanda Montell is a writer, language s...

2022-03-281h 16

The Jordan Harbinger Show 628: Amanda Montell | Cultish: The Language of FanaticismAmanda Montell (@amandamontell) is a language scholar and author of critically acclaimed Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language. Her latest book is Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, which explores how cults co-opt the words we use in order to control us and affect our behavior. What We Discuss with Amanda Montell: How the uncertainty of current times drives people toward the solace of community — and the sights of aspiring cult leaders and con artists. What personal experience drew Amanda, a language scholar, to explore how language is one of the most powerful to...

2022-02-221h 17

Off the Record Best of 2021: If You're Cultish & You Know It, Clap Your Hands with Amanda MontellCan you believe it? 2022 is already knocking at the front door. After everything we went through collectively in 2020, this year brought on some amazing conversations as people felt the urge to open up and express themselves and their new truths. We round out the year by revisiting two of our best episodes, continuing with Amanda Montell.Sometimes, big questions need to be asked. Who are we as humans? What is our intrinsic value to one another? Why do we want humans by our side? Is it out of desire, obligation, validation, or true necessity? And, what does...

2021-12-271h 09

Skylight Books Podcast Series LIVE ON CROWDCAST: Amanda Montell, ”CULTISH” w/ Owin Pierson What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has . . . Our culture tends to provide pretty flimsy answers to questions of cult influence, mostly having to do with vague talk of “bra...

2021-12-241h 01

A Little Bit Culty Sounds Cultish: Amanda Montell on Fanatical LanguageA Little Bit Culty – Sticks and stones break bones, but words build entire cult empires. In this episode, Sarah and Nippy sit down with Amanda Montell to discuss how cultish groups and social media gurus use language to manipulate followers and cultivate power. Amanda is a writer, language scholar, and the author of two critically acclaimed books: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language (HarperWave). Her books have earned praise from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and others, and Amanda is currently de...

2021-10-251h 26

Preacher Boys Podcast Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism | Amanda MontellPurchase Cultish here: https://amzn.to/3E0G9IsAmanda Montell is a writer, language scholar, and podcast host from Baltimore. She is the author of two critically acclaimed books: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, an indie bestseller about the language of "cults" from Scientology to SoulCycle (HarperCollins, 2021), and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language (HarperCollins, 2019). Amanda's books have earned praise from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Time Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and Kirkus Reviews, among others, and Amanda is currently developing Wordslut for television with FX Studios, serving as creator, write...

2021-10-2451 min

CIIS Public Programs Amanda Montell: On Cults, Language, and Social ScienceWhat makes cults so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Author and journalist Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has. In this episode, CIIS professor, writer, and speaker Zara Zimbardo talks with author and journalist Amanda Montell about her latest b...

2021-10-071h 07

Secret Life Amanda Montell - Groomed for Abuse: Love Bombing & GaslightingLove bombing is a common abuse tactic used by narcissists and sociopaths to manipulate situations to their advantage. It is the key gaslighting tactic in the Idealization phase of abuse, preceding the far more obvious Devaluation and Discarding stages. Amanda Montell innocently texted her friend’s older brother in Hollywood while she was in high school. What followed was a calculated and abusive relationship. ______If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com.______Amanda Montel...

2021-09-2736 min

High Low Brow The Allure of Cults with Amanda MontellSend us a textOff the top, Ama & Danita cover the latest in cursed internet content, from James Corden's flash mobs and Kanye's latest album launch. BTW, if our opening isn't as ~timely~ as usual, it's because LIFE HAPPENS. But hello, it's us from a few weeks ago!Then, two Amandas are better than one as Ama welcomes Amanda Montell, author of Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism to talk about the power of words, Instagram cults, and Mormon MLMs.If you liked what you heard, maybe think about rating us! You can also...

2021-09-121h 09

The Rewired Soul The Language of Cults with Amanda MontellEpisode NotesThe worst "cult" gets tossed around quite a bit, but what defines a cult? And how do cults use language to manipulate people? Like a lot of people, I've been fascinated by cults for a while, so I'm excited that I was able to talk to the wonderful Amanda Montell about her new book Cultish. In this episode, Amanda helps answer some of these questions, and we also ask if AA is a cult as well as whether or not Amanda has a cult following.Follow Amanda on Instagram @amanda_montell

2021-08-3151 min

The Rewired Soul The Language of Cults with Amanda MontellEpisode Notes The worst "cult" gets tossed around quite a bit, but what defines a cult? And how do cults use language to manipulate people? Like a lot of people, I've been fascinated by cults for a while, so I'm excited that I was able to talk to the wonderful Amanda Montell about her new book Cultish. In this episode, Amanda helps answer some of these questions, and we also ask if AA is a cult as well as whether or not Amanda has a cult following. Follow Amanda on Instagram @amanda_montell Get a...

2021-08-3151 min

Off the Record If You're Cultish & You Know it, Clap Your Hands with Amanda MontellWho are we as humans? What is our intrinsic value to each other? Why do we want humans by our side? Is it out of desire, obligation, validation, or true necessity? And what does Amanda Montell have to do with any of this? It has everything to do with her. In a recent interview with Salon Magazine, Amanda breaks down the way that cultish rhetoric causes us not to empathize with one another or see others as human. We see people as “other” if they don’t align perfectly with our rapidly narrowing ideologies. It’s important to know the cult...

2021-07-191h 02

Misseducated Entering The Void of Cults with Amanda Montell, Author of "Cultish"In memory of Laura Johnston Kohl, a Jonestown survivor who went on to join another cult, Synanon. Cults are a topic I find endlessly fascinating. But I wanted to know: how are cult leaders able to subtly and gradually influence their followers' beliefs over time?To find out more, I spoke to writer, language scholar and podcast host, Amanda Montell. Amanda's new book, "Cultish", explores the language of cults and the techniques used by all kinds of organizations, including SoulCycle and Instagram, to build stronger in-group affinities. Are they cults or not? Stay t...

2021-06-1842 min