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Bewildered

Bewildered

Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan

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 replace our own instinctive knowledge of what is right for us.

Now, it’s time for us to find that voice again—before it’s too late.

For Martha and Rowan, Job One is to live according to our deepest truths, making the commitment to feeling good even when it means looking weird. We believe that this is how we will reinvent our world—from the inside out— to create a society that’s kinder, more equitable, and more ecologically sustainable than the one we see around us right now.

This is the vision that we laugh and stumble and chat and feel our way towards here on this podcast. Did we mention LAUGH? We want no part of personal and global transformation if it isn’t fun!

So if you struggle to find a place where people who are as idealistic and brokenhearted, as silly and deeply sincere, as bewildered as you are—you might have just arrived.

Welcome!

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Top 10 Bewildered Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Bewildered episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Bewildered for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Bewildered episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Bewildered - Letting Yourself Off the Hook
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03/09/22 • 27 min

Every culture has what Martha and Ro refer to as “hooks”—powerful influences that compel us to behave a certain way and that even shape our identity. How much we buy into the culture determines the extent to which we become stuck on these hooks.
In this episode, Martha and Ro dive deep to explore the cultural hooks that often pull us away from our true purpose. They also offer insights on how we can free ourselves to seek a more authentic way of being.
It's an enlightening conversation you won't want to miss!

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Bewildered - All the Way to Heaven is Heaven
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06/12/24 • 43 min

Most of us are socialized to believe that if we suffer enough, we’ll be rewarded later—and the reward for our suffering will be happiness. In other words, happiness is something we must earn through suffering.

In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro challenge this cultural belief, inspired by the words of 14th century mystic St. Catherine of Siena who said, “All the way to heaven is heaven.”

To hear more about this idea—and how you can experience happiness right now—don't miss the full episode!

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Bewildered - The Time-Bound Mind
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03/23/22 • 47 min

Is the culture trying to pull the wool over our eyes about time?
(Spoiler alert: YES.)
In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Rowan explore the concept of time and our complex relationship with it.
From the “rubber time” of non-Western cultures, to the experience of “premembering” events that haven’t happened yet, to Einstein's theory that time is just an illusion, Martha and Ro cover it all.
It's a time-bending episode you won't want to miss—it may even blow your mind!

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Bewildered - The Vanishing Horizon of "Enough"
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04/20/22 • 52 min

Is enough ever truly enough?
In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Rowan examine our culture's pursuit of "enough"—a pursuit that never satisfies because it never ends.
Drawing on Asian philosophy, their own helpful (and often hilarious) stories, and the occasional anecdote from the animal kingdom, Martha and Ro argue that "enough" may not even exist—and reveal what we're all starving for instead.
Tune in for their refreshing reframe of "enough" and how we can bring this concept back into our lives.

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Bewildered - On Top of Things?
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04/06/20 • 53 min

Has anyone ever told you that a particular life-changing app or journaling technique will help you get a handle on everything in your life? If so, Martha and Ro would like to inform you that they were LYING! Life is overwhelming, and no calendar or tool will change that. We can no more “stay on top of everything” than we can control the universe. Tune in as our hosts use examples from Confucianism, body surfing, and landscape architecture to show us the value of letting go, heeding nature, and being fluid.

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Bewildered - Always Growing Up
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11/16/22 • 52 min

Many of us buy into the cultural idea that there is only one way to parent, and if we do it correctly, things will turn out okay, and everyone will approve of us. But when grown children leave home, parents don’t get to keep the identity they held for so long, and that can feel scary. On this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro discuss the challenges of launching grown-up children and finding a new identity. If you’re a parent—or someone who has had parents—this thought-provoking episode is for you!

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Bewildered - Ghosting the Argument (Empty Boats)
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08/25/21 • 47 min

In this episode Martha and Ro talk about the “ultimate spiritual lifehack” for dealing with other human beings. Conflict is everywhere, and you can’t win enough arguments to ever escape the culture of argument itself. So Martha and Ro suggest a process of “ghosting” this part of the culture. The solution? It’s all about empty boats! Listen for insight, giggles, and a guest appearance by Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s stake!

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Bewildered - The Happiness Imperative
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01/24/20 • 47 min

In the very first episode of the Bewildered podcast, Martha and Ro unpack the importance of embracing our WILDNESS. Now, running naked through the woods has its charms, but wildness takes many *forms, including mindful rebellion against conformity. Our hosts share their circuitous journeys from the bewilderment of culture’s consensus to the beWILDerment of their natural senses. Ro challenges our notions of happiness, and Martha shares an exercise to help us find our way back to our true selves.

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Bewildered - Beauty That Moves
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11/15/23 • 52 min

Martha and Ro are coming “full square” on this episode of BEWILDERED® to talk about Square Four in Martha’s Change Cycle.

The culture tells us that whenever we achieve a goal, we're supposed to stay there: “Now you're a butterfly. The End.”

Yet Nature, which we're all part of, is constantly changing. Eventually, you'll be sent back to Square One and the cycle will start anew.

To find out how to enjoy Square Four without gripping it too tightly—and welcome the next change into your life—be sure to tune in!
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Bewildered - Getting Back on the Horse
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04/21/21 • 62 min

Returning to activities that we’ve temporarily abandoned—due to, say, a global pandemic—brings a whole slew of challenges. Do we do things how we used to, even though we’ve changed fundamentally as people? If not, how can we approach our old work, habits, or hobbies in new ways? In this conversation, Martha and Ro unpack “the tyranny of how it's done” and offer advice on checking in with your senses before getting back on the horse and riding off in the wrong direction.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Bewildered have?

Bewildered currently has 92 episodes available.

What topics does Bewildered cover?

The podcast is about Courses, Podcasts, Self-Improvement and Education.

What is the most popular episode on Bewildered?

The episode title 'The Vanishing Horizon of "Enough"' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Bewildered?

The average episode length on Bewildered is 49 minutes.

How often are episodes of Bewildered released?

Episodes of Bewildered are typically released every 14 days.

When was the first episode of Bewildered?

The first episode of Bewildered was released on Jan 24, 2020.

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