Hard Things

Apparently there's a new trend called "Warm Sex"... …and after reading about it, we had a lot of opinions. This week on the Hard Things Podcast, we dive into: ❤️ What "Warm Sex" actually means 🔥 How it's different from "Hot Sex" ❄️ Whether "Cold Sex" is a real thing 💋 Why kissing matters so much during intimacy 👀 Foreplay, anticipation, and emotio...

Would you go on a first date over coffee... or is even that asking too much? This week on the Hard Things Podcast, we react to one of the wildest dating debates we've seen online after a man claimed he refuses to spend money on any woman he's just met—even if it's only for a cup of coffee. That conversation quickly turns into a much bigger discussion about: ☕ Coffee dates vs. walking...

Why do some people completely change the moment they're rejected? This week Angie and Amy dive into one of the biggest frustrations in modern dating: the "Nice Guy" phenomenon. After a real dating interaction goes completely off the rails, they explore why some people can't handle rejection, the psychology behind entitlement, ghosting versus honest communication, and why dating a...

🤖 Would you date an AI? It sounds ridiculous at first... Until you realize millions of people already are. This week on the Hard Things Podcast, we dive into one of the weirdest—and most fascinating—topics we've covered so far: ✔️ AI boyfriends and girlfriends ✔️ Emotional attachment to artificial intelligence ✔️ Whether AI relationships are healthy or harmful ✔️ Can talking to AI become emot...

Season 3 continues with one question: Are your standards actually too high... or are you finally refusing to settle? This week we dive into modern dating, online dating frustrations, relationship compatibility, and the difference between finding someone attractive versus finding someone who actually fits your life. In this episode: 🔥 Hinge dating updates 🔥 Relationship dealbreakers 🔥 Standards...

Welcome to Season 3 of the Hard Things Podcast! This episode has everything:🎂 birthday disasters🏥 a hospital experience that left Angie speechless🚩 online dating red flags📱 Hinge adventures🦶 an unexpected foot fetish conversation💀 a guy demanding to be called "Daddy" before even meeting🍩 diabetes-friendly dessert debates📧 another legendary email from HelenWhat starts as birthday...

This week on the Hard Things Podcast, we finally tackle a topic we've been teasing for weeks: 🚩 Trauma Bonding And spoiler alert... Most people on social media are using the term incorrectly. We break down: What trauma bonding actually is Why trauma bonding is NOT just two people with trauma How abuse, manipulation, and intermittent kindness create powerful emotional attachments Why toxic rel...

🚨 Memorial Day weekend slightly wrecked our posting schedule…Turns out cookouts, family chaos, emotional damage, and unsolicited dick pics don’t mix well with productivity 😅BUT WE’RE BACK.This week on the Hard Things Podcast:Love bombing explainedWhy toxic relationships can feel addictiveSoulmates vs false compatibilityWhy people ignore red flagsEmotional attachment, dopamine, and modern datingW...

Ever met someone and instantly thought:🚩 “This person could absolutely ruin my life… but I want them anyway.”Yeah. This episode is about THAT.This week on the Hard Things Podcast we break down:The Dark Triad personality traitsNarcissism vs narcissistic traitsMachiavellian manipulationPsychopathy and emotional detachmentWhy toxic people often seem charismatic and attractiveLove bombing and modern...

Modern dating is actually messing with our brains… and science backs it up. This week on the Hard Things Podcast, we dive into:Ghosting and why it literally activates physical pain centers in the brainBreadcrumbing, orbiting, zombieing, and dating app psychologySituationships and whether they’re a lesson or a waste of timeWhy modern friendships are disappearingThe death of “third places” and real...

This episode starts chaotic… and somehow turns into one of our most real and research-backed conversations about relationships 😅We’re talking about:The Michelangelo Effect (are you building your partner up or breaking them down?)Why relationships feel exciting at first… and then don’tThe science behind attraction, adrenaline, and “chemistry”Why your partner can actually impact your confidence and...

We found some of the wildest Reddit relationship stories… and yeah, we had opinions 😅In this episode of the Hard Things Podcast, we react to:Petty revenge stories that actually went too farRelationship double standards (and calling them out)The “cool girl” myth and why it backfiresWhat “50/50” really means in relationshipsLosing respect, settling, and emotional disconnectWe also get into:Matching...

Why do relationships still fail… even when you’re trying your best? In this episode of the Hard Things Podcast , we break down one of the most frustrating realities in dating and relationships: doing everything “right” and still feeling unmet. We talk about: • why communication alone doesn’t fix relationships • the difference between needs vs expectations • how emotional mismatches actually happen...

What if your best friend made a better life partner than your romantic partner? In this episode of the Hard Things Podcast , we get into one of the most interesting relationship shifts happening right now: solo partnering, chosen family, domesticated friendships, friendfluence, and clear coding . We talk about why more people are rethinking the traditional relationship model, why some friendships...

What if you’re not actually ready for a relationship… you’re just lonely? In this episode of the Hard Things Podcast , we break down the difference between real relationship readiness vs emotional loneliness —and why so many people confuse the two. We dive into: The science of loneliness (and why it literally feels like physical pain) Why you might be idealizing the wrong people Signs you’re datin...

What if relationships don’t fall apart because of cheating… but because of how you think about your partner? In this episode of the Hard Things Podcast , we break down: The Gottman Method and what actually predicts breakups What negative sentiment override is (and why it’s dangerous) How “the ick” forms and turns into resentment Why social media is quietly ruining your relationship The Magic 5 Hou...

Why do we suddenly lose attraction to someone we liked? In this episode of Hard Things Podcast, we break down the psychology behind the “ick” — that sudden feeling of disgust or loss of attraction that can instantly kill a romantic connection. But first… we start with one of the most wild Reddit revenge stories we’ve ever heard: a man discovers his girlfriend cheated and orchestrates one of the mo...

Why do people stay in bad relationships even when they know they’re unhappy? And why do we keep giving someone “another one” even after the red flags are obvious? In this episode of the Hard Things Podcast, we break down the real psychology behind why leaving toxic, unhealthy, or emotionally draining relationships can feel so hard. We talk about trauma bonds, attachment styles, fear of being alone...

In this episode of Hard Things Podcast, Angie gets a real-life plot twist: her Best Buy refrigerator installer asks for her number… in her kitchen 😳😂So we unpack it all: boundaries, safety, age gaps, “is he smooth or is this a red flag?”, and the real question—is dating worth disrupting your peace when you’re already 90% happy? We also spiral (respectfully) into:✅ “Princess lifestyle” self-awar...

In this episode of Hard Things Podcast, we read a listener's ( @nicolajones2579 ) email that spirals into a conversation about modern dating, attraction standards, and the way men and women completely misunderstand each other online. From unsolicited messages… to viral relationship advice debates… to the harsh reality of how people judge compatibility — we unpack the difference between honesty...

In this episode of Hard Things Podcast, we dive into something almost everyone does… but nobody experiences the same way — the kiss. For some people it’s casual and fun. For others it’s deeply intimate and more vulnerable than sex. We break down the psychology, biology, and real-life awkwardness behind kissing:• Why a bad kiss can instantly kill attraction• The biology your brain runs during a fir...

In this episode of Hard Things Podcast, we read a Youtube listener's ( @nicolajones2579 ) email that spirals into a conversation about modern dating, attraction standards, and the way men and women completely misunderstand each other online. From unsolicited messages… to viral relationship advice debates… to the harsh reality of how people judge compatibility — we unpack the difference between...

This episode of Hard Things Podcast is chaotic, funny, and unexpectedly tender. We start with a real-life stress spiral: a car dying in the middle of traffic, kids in the backseat, ice on the road—and strangers who actually show up. What unfolds becomes a bigger conversation about women helping women, emotional labor, and why community matters more than systems that don’t respond fast enough. From...

Life is hard. Relationships are harder. And sometimes people make Excel spreadsheets about sex instead of having an actual conversation. In Season 2, Episode 44 of the Hard Things Podcast, we dive into:The viral post about a husband tracking sexual rejection (yes… a spreadsheet)Why “no” still means no, even in marriageLibido mismatch, overstimulation, and mental loadWhy transactional affection kil...

Life is hard... and so are dicks — but like the badass bitches we are, we handle it. In this raw and hilarious episode of Hard Things Podcast, we dive headfirst into everything from snowpocalypse struggles and platform boots to deep conversations about consensual non-consent (CNC), trauma healing, and the psychological power of kink. Plus, you'll get an inside look at our personality test resu...