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Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel

Am I Letting My Jealousy Ruin This?

Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel

Esther Perel Global Media

Society & Culture, Education, Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Self-improvement

4.716.4K Ratings

🗓️ 9 March 2026

⏱️ 55 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A divorced woman calls Esther to untangle a new love that brings both exhilaration and heartache. She is in a relationship with a married man whose marriage is ethically non-monogamous and finds herself caught between desire, jealousy and the longing to feel chosen. As the conversation unfolds, buried childhood wounds, attachment patterns, and an inherited inner critic rise to the surface. They explore how old stories shape present love and what it might mean to rewrite the story she tells herself about love. Esther Callings are a one time, 45-60 minute interventional phone call with Esther. They are edited for time, clarity, and anonymity. If you have a question you would like to talk through with Esther, send a voice memo to producer@estherperel.com. Esther is returning to SXSW on March 14th for a special live episode of Where Should We Begin. Visit http://voxmedia.com/sxsw to learn more and preregister. Producer’s Note: When our anonymous guests do a session with Esther for the podcast, it is an act of generosity for everyone who listens. These sessions are meant not only to support the people in the room with Esther, but all of us who learn from their stories. Our stories have many chapters, and what you hear is just one moment in someone’s journey. So even though the sessions are anonymous, please remember that real people are behind them and they may be reading your comments. Also, please join me on Entre Nous, my new home on Substack for anyone who wants to live, love, and work with more connection and imagination. I invite you to sign up and become a free or paid member at estherperel.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi, Stair. I'm 41 years old and I'm calling with a personally heart-wrenching case of should I stay or should I go.

0:14.4

In regard to a man I've been seeing for almost two years, he and I met on a sort of casual dating app and went into it very casually.

0:24.8

I learned that he is married and that he and his wife were no longer sexual or romantic in that way,

0:36.7

but they are living together, share a bed. They co-parent an

0:41.3

eight-year-old boy, just like I do with my ex-husband, with whom I do not share. Not bad. And she is

0:49.8

very open and encouraging of all of this. And never in one million years would I have seen myself

0:57.0

making my way into this kind of a dynamic.

1:02.0

But this gentleman and I have very strong feelings for each other and he and I go on dates every week to two weeks and they're absolutely incredible from our

1:16.7

chemistry as friends and humans not to mention that I'm having the best sex of my life like

1:24.7

full stop and he is emotionally secure and available to me in a way that I've frankly

1:35.0

never had in 41 years. I also have been stuck in these endless questions all the time because there's a big part of me that

1:47.2

does love being single. Like when I first got divorced, I'll never forget that feeling of I can do

1:54.5

what I want. I can be who I want to be. And yet, I crave that idea of stability in marriage again and it's this constant

2:08.2

push and pull and I don't even know if I would want to be married to him and yet it does not

2:14.6

prevent some real pain some real pain that I feel around feeling like

2:24.4

I'm just jealous, you know, of he and his wife or partner who is lovely.

2:32.4

I would just so, so appreciate and love the chance to talk through this with you.

2:39.0

So thank you so much for listening.

2:46.2

Project Hail Mary is an extraordinary cinematic experience.

2:50.0

You're a great scientist, Dr. Grace.

2:51.6

The world is counting on you.

2:52.6

Starring Ryan Gosling.

...

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