Overthinking About Social Awkwardness

Magical Overthinkers

Amanda Montell & Studio71

Education, Science, Society & Culture

4.3 • 636 Ratings

🗓️ 1 October 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, Coltys.
0:02.6	Sorry.
0:04.2	I was going to try to do this promo in a British accent, and I've just now decided against it.
0:08.9	Coltis is your host, Amanda Montel.
0:11.3	And despite my cold feet about the accent, I am so excited to announce that sounds like a cult live is coming to London.
0:19.9	A live version of this very podcast is coming to London's
0:23.3	gorgeous Bush Hall on November 24th. It's going to be a night of culty conversations,
0:29.2	of juicy special guests, unhinged PowerPoint slides, and yes, a live podcast recording
0:35.4	that you get to be a part of. There's also going to be a book signing, a meet and greet, an unfiltered Q&A, and I'll be doing a special live reading from my book, Cultish, the Language of Fanaticism. Tickets are on sale now, either at Sounds Like a Cult.com or AmandaMontal.com slash events. Grab yours before they disappear. and come join the little sounds like a cult
0:54.7	cult across the pond. Hope you follow me in London on November 24th. Green Chef makes it easy to
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	...

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