The Real Question

By Not Sorry

Society & Culture

What's The Real Question about?

In this intimate podcast we explore how attention can be a tool for living a more intentional life. This season, Atheist chaplain Vanessa Zoltan guides guests through questions of quitting with empathy and humor. Vanessa has always been a big advocate of quitting – she believes quitting doesn't mean 'giving up,' it means you've tried something and realized that it doesn't work.
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LAST EPISODE

Should We Quit? | An Announ...

09.25.2023

Producer Ariana drops into the podcast to discuss an upcoming change with Should I Quit? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Real Question episodes:

09.25.2023 Should We Quit? \| An Announcement Producer Ariana drops into the podcast to discuss an upcoming change with Should I Quit? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
09.18.2023 (How) Should I Quit: My 40s? Kathy is turning 49 this year and she wants to be planning for the decade ahead! Should she continue on the career path she's on? Or it time to step off the path to try something new? With help from ...
09.11.2023 Should I Quit: Harry Potter? G has always loved Harry Potter – so much so that in 2019 they joined their local Harry Potter and the Sacred Text group to meet monthly and make meaning from the books. When J.K. Rowling outed herself as transphobic ...
09.04.2023 Should I Quit: Trying to Get My Driver’s License? Shira has been trying to learn how to drive for the past two years. She failed her first driving test and recently, when trying to renew her learner's permit, she failed that too. Feeling extremely discouraged about the whole thing, ...
07.31.2023 Should I Quit: My Best Friends? Paige has had the same best friends for twenty years but lately they've been really letting her down. She doesn't feel seen or loved by them, and they don't seem to understand her perspective. Is it time to just end ...
07.24.2023 Should I Quit: My Career? Sarah owns a ballet studio in a small town. She loves dance and she loves teaching, but running her own business is really stressful! If she changes career path, will that give her the opportunity for a better life? This ...
07.17.2023 Should I Quit: My Crush? Jocelin has a crush on their friend Paul. Ever since they met, there's been an intense instant connection – they like all the same things, they text all day, they hang out constantly. But Paul doesn't have feelings for Jocelin. ...
07.10.2023 Should I Quit: The United States? Prerna has lived in The United States for over ten years but it will probably take her another thirty years to get a green card. She loves living in the US, but the bureaucracy, uncertainty, and limitations are big source ...
07.03.2023 Should I Quit: Listening to Podcasts about Addiction? For the past fifteen years, Rob has been concerned about his relationship to opiates. One of the ways he has managed that relationship has been listening to podcasts about addiction. But recently he has been feeling like he doesn't like ...
06.26.2023 Should I Quit: My Fitness Watch? Allie started running casually in college and has gotten more and more into it over the years. She joined a running club, she ran her first marathon, and she bought herself a fitness watch. But recently her fitness watch has ...
06.19.2023 Should I Quit: My Uterus? Every time Mars has a period they think about getting their uterus taken out. They hate having this dumb organ in their body! But doesn't everyone hate their period? And what if they want to have kids in the future? ...
06.12.2023 Should Vanessa Quit: Trying to Be Clean? We're taking one more week off of regular programming, but we'll be back next week on June 19th. In the meantime, please enjoy this un-locked Patreon perk, our Should Vanessa Quit? segment with Vanessa and Ariana. Our Patreon supporters make ...
06.05.2023 Pop Culture Prescription: When You Have Some Extra Time to Yourself As we prepare for our Not Sorry C.A.M.P. this week, we're taking a break from the show. We'll be back in two weeks, on June 19th. In the meantime, please enjoy this un-locked Patreon perk, our Pop Culture Prescriptions with ...
05.29.2023 Should I Quit: Nicotine? Ely knows that vaping is bad for her, but she can't seem to find the motivation to stop. Is it okay to indulge certain vices? Or is that logic just the way that addiction works? This week on Should I ...
05.22.2023 Should I Quit: Making New Friends? Margaret is a very sociable person – everywhere she goes, she finds new people to be friends with. But with that list ever-expanding, she feels like she's not serving her existing friendships as well as she'd like. Should she stop ...
05.15.2023 Should I Quit: Giving Advice? (asking Heather Havrilesky) Heather Havrilesky is the voice behind the popular existential advice column, Ask Polly. This week she joins Vanessa to talk about giving advice, when to quit, and how to better be "your ragged-ass bullshit self." -- This show is completely ...
05.08.2023 Should I Quit: Posting Photos of my Kids on Instagram? Courtney loves posting photos of her kids on instagram – she loves scrolling back and seeing all the small moments captured, she loves being able to share those moments with family and friends. But her kids are young enough that ...
05.01.2023 Should I Quit: Social Media Before Bed? Chris Stedman gets stuck scrolling Twitter at night. He knows why he does it – it makes him feel in control, it soothes his anxiety. But should he be sitting in that anxiety instead of soothing it? This week on ...
04.24.2023 Should I Quit: Going on Zillow? Taylor gets sucked into looking at houses on Zillow. It's addictive! Comparing prices, imagining her life in different places... But is that imagining good for her? Or is it keeping her from appreciating the life she has? This week on ...
04.18.2023 Special Edition: Reality Television and ‘The One’ (with Julia Argy) Julia Argy, our incredible pilgrimage director has her first book out today! It's called The One, and it's about a woman who joins a reality television show to find love. Publishers Weekly says it best: “[A] smart debut…Argy takes on ...
04.17.2023 Should I Quit: Telling White Lies? Brigid has gotten into the habit of telling white lies. It's a defense mechanism to feel in control of what people know and think about her. But is being so in control actually bad for her sense of self? This ...
04.10.2023 Should I Quit: My Yoga Subscription? During the pandemic, Brooke signed up for an online yoga subscription. Does she ever use it? No. Can she get herself to cancel it? Also no. This week on Should I Quit? Vanessa and Brooke discuss the psychological burden of ...
04.03.2023 Should I Quit: Chicago? Hannah has lived in Chicago for the past seven years. She never really wanted to live there long-term, but now she's having trouble leaving. Her family and all her friends are in Chicago! She has a really good life there. ...
03.20.2023 Should I Quit: Trying to Get My Book Published? Katie has written a novel. She worked hard on it and she thinks it's good, but the process of trying to get it published has been grueling. Should she just keep going? Or is it time to set the book ...
03.13.2023 Should I Quit: My Choir? Lisa has been a choir nerd for basically her whole life. But recently, with two young kids, she can barely stay awake for the rehearsals. Should she give it up to get more sleep? Or is this just a rough ...
03.06.2023 Should I Quit: My Relationship? Emily loves her boyfriend. There’s not enough good things to say about him: He’s kind and attentive and easy to be around. But she’s always wanted to be a mom, and he’s not so sure about kids. Can she stay ...
02.27.2023 Should I Quit: My College Club? When Cameron joined the disability advocacy club during his first year of college, it became a huge part of his life. Now a junior, he's the club president, and being president opens a lot of doors campus-wide. The only the ...
02.20.2023 Should I Quit: Karate? Sami has been practicing the same style of Karate for 20 years; it’s a huge part of her identity. But a recent conflict with her Sensei has thrown her relationship with the sport up in the air. Can she go ...
02.13.2023 Should I Quit: Dating? Rin wants a life partner, but they’ve never felt romantically attracted to someone before. Should they keep dating, hoping that they’ll find the right person? Or is it time to give up on conventional love tropes and pursue another path? ...
02.06.2023 Should I Quit: Being a Teacher? Lacy has been a teacher for fifteen year, and like many teacher’s right now, she’s feeling overwhelmed. School doesn’t feel the same as it did pre-pandemic. She feels pulled in a million directions, and out of hope. Is it time ...
01.30.2023 Should I Quit: Trying to Get Better? About a year and a half ago, Fran got sick. Since then, she’s been focused on getting a diagnosis and then trying to get better. But the kind of chronic illness she has – sometimes you don’t get better. Should ...
01.23.2023 Should I Quit: My Rule Against Long Distance Relationships? When Cheyanne was twenty-three years old she made a rule: no long distance relationships. They just set you up for heartbreak! Every time she fell for someone far away, she stuck by her trusty rule. But now, nearly six years ...
01.16.2023 Should I Quit: My Dream Job? Jaime loves birds. Since they were eight years old they’ve wanted a career in bird science, and so far they’ve been living that dream! But a recently discovered chronic illness has been making the work more difficult. Is it time ...
01.09.2023 Should I Quit: My Church? Cari has been dreading going to church. In theory, she likes so much about the community. But lately, she’s been resenting her obligations there. Is this just a rut? Or is it time to move on? This week on Should ...
01.02.2023 Special Sneak Peek! (Forgiveness: An Alternative Account) Beloved co-host of Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, Matt Potts, released his book Forgiveness: An Alternative Account a few weeks ago and it is so! good!! We're very excited to bring you an exclusive excerpt from the book - ...
12.19.2022 Should I Quit: Quitting? Vanessa and Ariana reflect on how the show's going and whether Vanessa's thoughts about quitting have changed since starting the season. We're taking a short break for the holidays but we'll be back January 9th with our next episode! -- ...
12.12.2022 Should I Quit: Interior Design? Emily has always been passionate about decorating her home. It’s a big creative outlet for her! But the online culture around interior design has started to bother her – it's all focused around buying more stuff in order to feel ...
12.05.2022 Should I Quit: Calling My Parents? Hannah calls her parents…a lot. Like four times a day. She loves talking to them, but all her friends think it’s weird. So she’s started to wonder: am I being too clingy? This week on Should I Quit? Vanessa and ...
11.28.2022 Should I Quit: My Small Business? Since the start of the pandemic, Shannon’s confectionary business has really been struggling. Now she’s getting kicked out of her shop space and she's wondering: is it worth it to move somewhere more expensive? Or should she just cut her ...
11.21.2022 Should I Quit: Watching Youtube? Casper spends a lot of time scrolling through YouTube videos. He feels like he should have a better evening routine, but the algorithm always pulls him in! Is it time to just go cold turkey? This week on Should I ...
11.14.2022 Should I Quit: My Dad? Our guest this week has a hard relationship with her dad. After years of hoping it would get better, she’s starting to feel like it might be time to quit. This week on Should I Quit? Vanessa and our guest ...
11.07.2022 Should I Quit: Texas? Mae lives in Texas. She grew up there, her whole family is there, there are a lot of things she loves about her life there. But now that she's raising two small kids, she's beginning to think: Is this really ...
10.31.2022 Should I Quit: My Name? When Eleanor got married, she took her husband’s last name. Now, nineteen years and three kids later, she’s working on a PhD. The PhD feels separate from her family life, something she’s doing just for herself. And so she’s started ...
10.25.2022 Quitting: A Thesis Is there something in your life that's making you miserable, but you feel like you need to just put your head down and get through it? Have you considered... just not doing it instead? This week, Vanessa starts our new ...
10.04.2022 Should I Quit: Trailer Our first episode of Should I Quit is coming October 24th! If you'd like to be on the show, you can submit a question here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
09.19.2022 Endings With help from Gilmore Girls and the song Closing Time from Semisonic, Vanessa and Casper explore the grief of endings and share about their upcoming projects. -- You can find out more about The Nearness at https://www.thenearness.coop/. Should I Quit ...
09.12.2022 From The Happiness Lab: Making Friends as an Adult featuring Casper Casper recently joined The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos for a special episode on overcoming loneliness–a feeling many of us are all too familiar with. On The Happiness Lab, Laurie shares the latest scientific research and inspiring stories that ...
09.05.2022 Humility Casper grew up with a lot of confidence. And as he’s gotten older, that confidence has only been encouraged and solidified by the various privileged identities that he inhabits. Knowing that, he wants to intentionally cultivate a practice of humility. ...
08.22.2022 Trusting Your Gut Vanessa has always had very good instincts about people. But recently she's started to wonder: where does that gut instinct come from inside of her? And how can she make sure her 'gut' is reflecting her wisdom, instead of her ...
08.08.2022 In-Laws Lily has a boyfriend who she loves. But you know who she doesn’t love? Her boyfriend’s brother. He makes Lily feel small and hurt and honestly angry every time they see each other. But Lily wants to have a good ...

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