Mixed Feelings

„Mixed Feelings“ is a podcast from the Collaborative Research Centre „Affective Societies“ at Freie Universität Berlin. We explore how emotions and affects shape our social worlds — from everyday relationships to global politics. Feelings are rarely simple. Joy can come with sadness, hope with fear, love with anger. In „Mixed Feelings“, we dive into these emotional entanglements: why they arise, why they’re so hard to unravel, and what we can hold on to when we’re in the thick of them. Each episode brings together researchers from our centre and voices from outside academia — writers, artists, activists, and practitioners — to shed light on the messy, powerful, and often contradictory feelings that define contemporary life. If you're curious about why we feel the way we do, how emotions shape politics and culture, and how to navigate today’s complex emotional landscape — this podcast offers fresh insights, surprising connections, and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether