Episode notes
In the face of the unprecedented complexity of today’s world, how do we navigate our days? On this episode of Bewildered, we explore why five-year plans and rigid schedules no longer work, and how to trust the unexpected pockets of beauty in our days instead. Join us for the full conversation to hear how to ditch cultural expectations, go up and down with the water, and find the magic hiding inside your wiggle room. Tune in, lean into the present moment, and learn why “blessed are the wigglers”!
Podcast
Bewildered
Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan · Learning · English
What if we stopped listening to the controlling voice of the culture around us, and instead learned to reconnect with our own true nature? Sometimes we aren’t even sure why we feel so bewildered… and discontented… and even downright miserable. Often it’s because we have let the forces of society
More from Bewildered All episodes →
-
S1 · E136 · 23 Sep 2026 · 56 min
Are We There Yet?
We’re all chasing a destination—that big promotion, that perfect relationship, that hundred million dollars—convinced that once we arrive there, life will finally stop life-ing and everything will fall into place. This time on Bewildered, we dig into why relationships, body, and money are “the biggies,” why the place we want to go always recedes like a desert mirage, and how coming to our senses means realizing we’ve already reached our destination: this exact moment, right here, right now. Join us!
-
S1 · E135 · 9 Sep 2026 · 59 min
Hadestown and the Mythology of Work
This time on Bewildered, we’re doing something kind of interesting… Using the brilliant Broadway musical Hadestown by Anaïs Mitchell, we explore how we feel about work, money, “the man,” patriarchy, capitalism, and the grind that feels like hell. But as Anaïs Mitchell points out so beautifully—and as we’re discovering for ourselves—there’s a crack in the wall of hell. We’re looking for that crack in expectancy theory, pattern interrupts, and the transcendent enchantment of art. Join us to hear more!
-
S1 · E134 · 26 Aug 2026 · 59 min
Why is This Always Happening to Me?
Trying to figure out why something always happens to you? In this episode of Bewildered, we’re talking about recognizing patterns that repeat in our lives, what causes them, and how they feed the culture (and the culture feeds them). By shifting the story from “Why is this happening to me?” to “Why is this happening to me?”, we become curious detectives of our own psychology. Join us to learn how you can shift your patterns, change your story, and become more free and joyful in your life.
-
S1 · E133 · 12 Aug 2026 · 53 min
Playing Without Performing
Do you ever feel like there are invisible people in your head criticizing your every move, even when you’re by yourself? We’ve found that a lot of people have this experience, us included. The good news is we don’t have to be stuck with it. In this episode of Bewildered, we’re talking about how to recognize the critical voice of the culture, how to free yourself from it, and how to turn towards an imaginary (or real!) group of people who are loving, accepting, approving…and wilder. Join us!
-
S1 · E132 · 29 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
Enriching Your Enclosure
We all need more hobbies…and we’re not joking. In this episode of Bewildered, we dig into why the culture dismisses hobbies, pushing them to the margins, when really they can be radical forms of rebellion. We talk about how to “enrich your own enclosure” rather than waiting for someone else to do it, how money can kill creativity (but doesn’t have to), and why interdependence is better than self-sufficiency. This episode will help you see hobbies in a whole new light. Tune in and join our revolution!
Take it with you
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
