Curated Questions: Conversations Celebrating the Power of Questions!

Episode Summary"I don’t want hope as a primary strategy for living well." - Ken WoodwardIn this solo episode of Curated Questions, Ken Woodward explores hope not as a feeling or slogan, but as a muscle, something built, weakened, and strengthened through use.Prompted by Alex Honnold’s free-solo climb and his own season of uncertainty, Ken reflects on the collapse of trust in institutions and the fragility of inherited forms of hope. Drawing on psychological and neuroscientific research, he reframes hope as a cognitive skill set rooted in agency and pathways, the belief that we can act and imagine multiple routes forward, even without certainty.Ken examines how rumination, paralysis, and outsourced responsibility erode hope, and how well-chosen questions can interrupt despair and reengage possibility. Moving from individual to collective hope, he invites listeners to consider where their own “hope muscles” have atrophied and what small, concrete actions might rebuild them.This episode is not a lesson on hope, but a vulnerable, out-loud search for it, grounded in questions, courage, and shared responsibility.This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.Be sure to subscribe to the weekly Curated Questions Dispatch newsletter for more fun with questions and curiosity! (https://substack.com/@curatedquestions)Keep questioning!Episode Notes00:00 A Taste Of What Is To Come02:02 The Story of Alex Honnold02:45 Personal Reflections on Hope03:49 Current State of the World05:34 The Concept of Hope08:41 The Neuroscience of Hope12:03 Practical Questions for Hope15:55 Collective Hope and Action19:09  Poem: Alex Jeffrey Pretti, Murdered by I.C.E, January 24th, 2026 by Amanda Gorman20:58 Closing RemarksResources MentionedAlex HonnoldTiapei 101 TowerAmanda GormanPoem: Alex Jeffrey Pretti, Murdered by I.C.E, January 24th, 2026 by Amanda GormanProducer Ben FordBeauty Pill

"You can only live with so much cognitive dissonance in your life." - Matthew PridgenMatthew Pridgen joins Ken Woodward for a raw, wide-ranging conversation about how questions can crack open denial and move us toward truth, repentance, and reconciliation.Matthew shares his dramatic journey from addiction and a near-fatal suicide attempt to a decades-long pursuit of faith, justice, and historical honesty. His pivotal moment was when an eight-year-old girl asked, “Why did you take my church down?” after a tent revival in Charleston’s historically Black East Side, which became the question that launched his racial awakening.Together, they explore how American “mythology” hides the realities of slavery, Jim Crow, and modern dog whistles, and how the Black church has sustained a prophetic witness against oppression.The episode highlights the personal cost of cognitive dissonance, the freedom of living without lies, and a central challenge for today: are Christians willing to abandon Christian nationalism and follow Jesus’ actual teachings?Check out Matthew's documentary The Sins of Our Fathers: Race, Religion, and the Rise of Trump on Amazon Prime, and his new Sins of Our Fathers podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts. (https://www.amazon.com/Sins-our-Fathers-Religion-Trump/dp/B0G1XD7TQT)This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.Be sure to subscribe to the weekly Curated Questions Dispatch newsletter for more fun with questions and curiosity! (https://substack.com/@curatedquestions)Keep questioning!Episode Notes00:00 Introduction to Curated Questions02:05 Meet Matthew Pridgen: A Story of Redemption03:38 Matthew's Tent Revival and Racial Awakening05:02 Confronting Myths and Realities of American History05:57 The Impact of Systemic Racism07:19 The Power of Film in Social Change08:41 Charleston's Unique Racial History09:13 The Great Migration and Segregation11:01 The Role of White Supremacy in American History11:37 Theological Justifications for Racism17:16 Matthew's Higher Call to Christians21:37 Matthew's Personal Journey to Faith25:06 Homeless Ministry and Community Engagement27:12 Understanding Institutional Poverty30:29 The Prophetic Witness of the Black Church34:28 Cognitive Dissonance and Historical Awareness37:20 The Need for National Reconciliation42:28 The Uncomfortable Work of Facing Truth48:56 The Role of Motivation in National Policy50:23 Soft Power and Global Influence50:55 The Motivation Behind Our Actions52:25 Impact of USAID and Trump's Policies53:13 The Harm of White Supremacy53:46 Christianity and Political Disillusionment54:58 The Hypocrisy in Evangelical Christianity56:25 The Existential Crisis of Faith57:07 False Prophets and Historical Atrocities58:12 Embracing the Black Church Tradition59:18 The Prophetic Witness of Black Women01:02:12 The Legacy of Slavery and Black Women's Burden01:04:21 The George Floyd Protests and Aftermath01:05:50 The Need for National Conversation on Race01:08:38 The Role of Individual Awakening01:09:32 The Importance of Historical Awareness01:12:56 Taking Action and Refusing to Be Complicit01:16:37 The Influence of Barbara01:22:34 The Freedom of Honesty and Repentance01:28:25 Increased Sensitivity of Raised Defenses01:31:28 The Challenge of National Pride01:32:32 The Role of Humility in Overcoming Bias01:33:41 Final Thoughts and Call to ActionResources MentionedSins of Our FathersFrom Folly by Matthew PridgenAmerica Street by Matthew PridgenSouth of Broad neighborhood in Charleston, South CarolinaJonathan Wilson-HartgroveGeorge FloydEmancipationReconstructionJim Crow LawsCivil Rights EraTower of BabelDay of PentecostMartin Luther King, Jr.Tulsa Race MassacreDonald TrumpDEICRTAntifaThe Great Party SwitchSouthern StrategyDr. Bernard PowersCollege of CharlestonCenter for the Study of Slavery at the College of CharlestonJemar TisbyDuke UniversityRev. Dr. Dallas Wilson, Jr.Emancipation ProclamationReverent William Barber IIPoor People's CampaignThe Naked Truth Art Project by Ephraim UrevbuThe Indigenous People's History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-OrtizSister Citizen by Melissa Harris-PerryAnn Caldwell Gospel singerThe Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. ConeCaste by Isabel WilkersonThe Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby (https://jemartisby.com/the-color-of-compromise/)How to Fight Racism by Jemar TisbyResmaa MenakemThe New DealJoe BidenJeffrey Epstein FilesInstagramFacebookTikTokYouTubeThe Sins of Our Fathers on Amazon PrimeProducer Ben FordBeauty Pill

"Questions are not neutral; they're interventions." - Ken WoodwardWhat actually happens inside us when a question is asked?In this solo episode of Curated Questions, Ken Woodward explores the neurological, emotional, and psychological impact of being asked a question.Moving beyond techniques or tactics, Ken examines how questions hijack attention, trigger chemical responses in the brain, open unresolved mental loops, and sometimes activate fear or defensiveness.Drawing from neuroscience and a powerful encounter during his Washington, D.C. walking project, he reflects on a question that has remained open for years: What real difference are you making?This episode reveals why some questions feel like relief before they’re answered, why others linger long after they’re asked, and how certain questions don’t just reveal who we are, but actively shape who we become.Questions, Ken argues, are not neutral requests for information. They are interventions. And understanding their power changes how we ask, how we answer, and how we live with them.This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.Be sure to check out the weekly Curated Questions Dispatch newsletter for more fun with questions and curiosity! (https://substack.com/@curatedquestions)Keep questioning!Episode Notes00:00 Introduction: The Power of Smell and Memory01:09 Welcome to Curated Questions02:21 Part One: The Hijack04:07 Questions in Everyday Life06:39 Part Two: The Chemical Cascade11:13 Part Three: The Open Loop14:57 Part Four: The Threat Response17:15 Part Five: The Self In Question18:52 Part Six: Putting It Together20:43 ConclusionResources MentionedBrain Rules: We Are Not Wired For True Multitasking by John MedinaNeuromodulatory SystemsUC DavisBluma ZeigarnikWashington Post Article about Ken's walk through Washington D.C. by Teresa VargasDefault Mode NetworkRainer Maria RilkeProducer Ben FordBeauty Pill

Mitchell Osmond, founder of Dad Nation Co. and a motivational coach, shares his journey of transformation after a pivotal question at a funeral made him reassess his life. He discusses the importance of choosing which difficulties to embrace and how discomfort can lead to growth. They explore practical tools for fostering resilience in children and strengthening family bonds through honest communication. Mitchell emphasizes that confidence is built through keeping promises and encourages ongoing self-inquiry to define personal success and legacy.

"What are the questions you will be carrying into the year, such that it will be a celebration of your becoming?" - Ken WoodwardThis year-end Curated Questions episode is a reflective curation of the questions that shaped several conversations throughout 2025. Rather than offering a rapid recap of every episode, Ken highlights a handful of moments that reveal how intentional questioning can clarify purpose, interrupt unhelpful patterns, and guide meaningful becoming.Across stories from entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, and personal reflection, the episode explores questions that ask us to define the change we seek to make, consider who we are becoming, and choose where to place our attention. Along the way, listeners are reminded that good questions often emerge only after many imperfect ones, that perspective shapes dignity and connection, and that small mental reframes can act as powerful resets.As the year closes, the episode becomes an invitation: to name the questions that mattered most in 2025, to carry one forward with intention into 2026, and to trust that a better world is built by those willing to keep questioning.Sign up for the weekly Curated Questions Dispatch newsletter at https://curatedquestions.substack.com/This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.Ensure to subscribe to the Curated Questions Dispatch weekly newsletter on Substack.Keep questioning!Episode Notes00:00 Highlight01:56 Introduction and Welcome02:51 Overview of 2025 Episodes04:09 Curated Questions Dispatch Newsletter05:10 Highlighting Seth Godin's Insights07:31 A Helpful Practice08:46 Lisa Wimberger on Neurosculpting09:25 Tim Molnar's Strategic Dating Guide10:14 Kevin Kelly on Questioning and AI11:30 Robert Sturman's Unique Perspective12:23 Conclusion and Call to ActionResources MentionedFlightcastSteven Bartlett, host of Diary of a CEOCurated Questions Dispatch on SubstackSeth GodinAsk the Dust by John FanteHannah FryLisa WimbergerNeurosculptingTim MolnarDate Smarter: A Strategic Guide for Navigating Modern Romance by Tim MolnarKevin KellyRobert SturmanSan QuentinProducer Ben FordBeauty Pill

"Direction often emerges not from knowing what you want, but from finally admitting what you don’t." - Ken WoodwardThe Inquisitive Almanack: 2026 Edition closes the year with something Curated Questions has never quite done before—an affectionate, slightly irreverent, and deeply thoughtful almanack for the inner life.Inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack, this episode blends dry wit, invented bureaucracy, and hard-won wisdom to offer forecasts not for the weather, but for the heart, mind, and questions we carry.You’ll hear interior weather reports, proverbs for the asking class, arbitrary rules of inquiry, lunar phases of curiosity, and predictions for the questions most likely to surface in 2026—across leadership, relationships, parenting, teams, and personal life.Released intentionally as the final episode of the year, this Almanack isn’t a recap or a resolution guide. It’s a pause. A breath. A lighter place to rest before the calendar turns and begins asking new things of us.Come curious. Leave rested. And carry one good question forward.Be sure to check out the weekly Curated Questions Dispatch newsletter for more fun with questions and curiosity! (LINK)This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.Keep questioning!Resources MentionedPoor Richard's AlmanackBenjamin FranklinProducer Ben FordBeauty Pill

"Not being a hundred percent sure all the time is a weird strength." - Haru YamadaIn this episode of Curated Questions, Ken Woodward is in conversation with Dr. Haru Yamada, a sociolinguist, intercultural communication scholar, and author of Kiku: The Japanese Art of Good Listening, to explore what it really means to listen. Haru traces her early understanding of questions back to age four, when she moved from Tokyo to New York and had to use questions as a tool for language, belonging, and survival.Together, they unpack how culture shapes communication: English often rewards “flashlight” questioning, the precise, content-driven clarity, while Japanese culture tends to favor a “lantern” approach that illuminates context, relationship, and what isn’t said. Haru also shares the harrowing accident that reshaped her understanding of listening as a health practice, linking felt-heard experiences to relational, mental, and even physical well-being.In a noisy, multitasking world, this conversation reframes listening as an active, life-giving skill, and a compass for navigating each other with empathy.Be sure to check out the weekly Curated Questions Dispatch newsletter for more fun with questions and curiosity! (https://substack.com/@curatedquestions)This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.Keep questioning!Episode Notes00:00 Introduction: Embracing Uncertainty01:57 Introducing Dr. Haru Yamada02:23 The Art of Listening: Kiku03:12 A Life-Altering Accident03:37 Welcoming Dr. Yamada04:02 Early Experiences with Questions04:57 Navigating Cultural Differences07:28 The Journey of a Third Culture Kid08:19 Academic Pursuits in Linguistics10:32 The Strength in Uncertainty16:04 Questioning Anti-Fragility As A Goal23:02 Flashlight vs. Lantern: Different Approaches to Questions26:57 Cultural Context in Business Meetings28:16 Interpersonal Communication Challenges32:12 The Importance of Listening39:51 Personal Anecdotes and Reflections44:11 The Healing Power of Being Heard47:42 Reflecting on Past Medical Experiences48:16 The Evolution of Listening Post-COVID49:41 Remote Work and Multitasking52:24 The Impact of Isolation on Communication54:02 Curated Interactions in the Digital Age55:34 The Shift in Media Consumption57:48 The Importance of Visual and Auditory Listening59:04 Personal Experiences with Hearing Loss01:00:58 Advancements in Hearing Aid Technology01:03:20 The Value of Ambiguous Questions01:04:23 The Fear of Uncertainty in Listening01:05:05 The Role of Multitasking in Communication01:07:24 Learning from Students' Unique Needs01:11:29 The Changing Nature of Academic Inquiry01:19:23 Better Understanding The Lantern View01:22:35 Cultural Differences in Language Learning01:24:52 The Complexity of Bilingualism01:26:48 The Challenges of Cross-Cultural Communication01:31:07 Final Reflections and TakeawaysResources MentionedKIKU: The Japanese Art of Good Listening by Dr. Haru YamadaLynn Borton at Choose To Be CuriousJeff WetzlerAustin K GraffAntifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas TalebThe Power of Introverts TED Talk by Susan CainStanford Interpersonal Dynamics ClassDr. Haru Yamada on LinkedInProducer Ben FordBeauty Pill

Rob Walker, a writer and cultural observer known for The Art of Noticing, discusses the transformative power of asking questions. He shares how his passion for journalism at 18 gave him permission to ask, fueling his curiosity. Rob highlights the unique storytelling culture of New Orleans and how small noticing assignments can enrich everyday life. He illustrates the significance of narratives in valuing objects through his Significant Objects project and emphasizes that questions hold the key to creativity, agency, and societal progress.

"We vote with our labor for the world we want to create. If you don't reflect on what you're doing, how do you know you're casting the right vote?" - Radhika DuttIn this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward engages entrepreneur and author Radhika Dutt in a profound exploration of how questions can transform organizations from goal-driven to puzzle-solving entities. Radhika is the author of "Radical Product Thinking" and shares her journey from MIT to becoming a serial entrepreneur to developing the puzzle-based leadership OHLA framework (Objectives, Hypotheses, Learnings, Adaptations).The conversation reveals how traditional goal-setting, rooted in 1940s assembly-line thinking, fails in today's complex environment, where creative problem-solving matters more than repetitive execution.Radhika demonstrates through a live experiment how "puzzles" energize while "goals" burden, explaining that puzzles tap into internal motivation rather than external pressure. She emphasizes the critical importance of reflection, a practice she credits with enabling better decision-making both personally and professionally.Drawing from her nine languages and global experience, including living in post-apartheid South Africa, Radhika offers insights on creating psychological safety for questions across cultures. The episode culminates with practical guidance on implementing puzzle-based thinking in organizations, showing how asking better questions leads to ownership, engagement, and transformative results.Be sure to check out the weekly Curated Questions Dispatch newsletter for more fun with questions and curiosity! (https://substack.com/@curatedquestions)This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.Keep questioning!Resources MentionedRadical Product Thinking: The New Mindset for Innovating Smarter by Radhika DuttLobby SevenMITAvid TechnologyMonetary Authority of SingaporeChatGPTSam AltmanGates FoundationWhat has the Gates Foundation done for Global Health?Muhammad YunusMicroloansEsther DufloAbhijit BanerjeeFrank BlakeAdobeAppleOnly The Paranoid SurviveDavid Eagleman Management by Objectives detailed in The Practice of Management by Peter DruckerGeneral MotorsLean StartupAdidasBryn Mawr CollegeMonument LabAlbert EinsteinDrama of the Gifted Child by Alice MillerOHLA Framework Toolkit (Objectives, Hypotheses, Learnings, Adaptations)Radhika Dutt on LinkedInRadicalProduct.comProducer Ben FordBeauty Pill

"The Insight Pause is sitting in the rubble of your shattered worldview before clearing a single stone." - Ken WoodwardIn this solo episode, Ken Woodward introduces The Insight Pause—a five-step framework for navigating the moments that crack open our worldview. Through his own story of confronting the hidden history behind the Indigenous names and artifacts that shaped his childhood landscape, Ken explores how insights arrive fully formed, unsettle our identities, and demand more than quick fixes or defensive reactions.He walks listeners through the foundational skills that prepare us for these moments, the instant of recognition, the sacred pause that follows, and the slow work of integrating unsettling truths into a new, liberated worldview.Whether you're rethinking long-held beliefs, noticing contradictions you can’t ignore, or sensing that something in your life no longer fits, this episode offers a practical and compassionate guide for holding discomfort without collapsing into denial or overreaction.Discover how the Insight Pause can transform the questions you carry—and the person you’re becoming.Be sure to check out the weekly Curated Questions Dispatch newsletter for more fun with questions and curiosity! (https://substack.com/@curatedquestions)This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.Keep questioning!Episode Notes00:00 Introduction and Welcome01:55 Personal Story: Early Realizations02:36 The Cracks in the Story02:51 Framework Introduction03:37 Manifest Destiny and Indigenous Names04:29 A Shattered Worldview05:37 The Moment of Insight05:56 Step One: Foundation07:38 Step Two: Insight08:47 Step Three: Insight Pause10:23 Step Four: Integration12:04 Step Five: Liberation13:28 Insight Pause Deep Dive16:14 Practical Applications17:11 Creating Your Own Pause Practice19:36 Final Thoughts and Call to ActionResources MentionedYavapai County (https://www.yavapaiaz.gov/Home)Hopi (https://www.hopi-nsn.gov/)An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (https://a.co/d/8xO1EDb)Manifest Destiny (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifest_destiny)Prescott, Arizona (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prescott,_Arizona)Quinnipiac River (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinnipiac_River)Niantic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niantic_people)Montauk Point (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Point_Light)Mashantucket Pequot (https://www.mptn-nsn.gov/)Mohegan (https://www.mohegan.nsn.us/)Bison herds (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_bison)American exceptionalism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism)Founding Fathers of the United States (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founding_Fathers_of_the_United_States)Piscataway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piscataway_people)Narragansett (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narragansett_people)Producer Ben Ford (https://www.producerbenford.com/)Beauty Pill (https://www.beautypill.com/)Questions AskedWhat question are you avoiding that would change everything?What questions float at the edge of your consciousness?What contradictions do you live with daily?Even if 50% of the book was false, what do I do with the 50% that's true?What do I do with the 50% that's true?What truths are hiding in plain sight in your life?Why do our best people keep leaving?Why do I keep having the same fight?Why does this success feel empty?Why does this certainty require so much defending?What am I working hard not to see?Where do you feel the truth in your body?What truths are hiding in plain sight in your life?What feedback have you been deflecting?What patterns have you been rationalizing?What questions are you unwilling to ask?What costs are you refusing to calculate? (What names are you driving past?What pottery shards are you collecting without asking whose hands shaped them?What “half-truth” would change everything if you faced the true half?What seedling of truth needs protection in your sacred uncertainty?