#67 Matthew Pridgen: When Cognitive Dissonance Breaks Open

"You can only live with so much cognitive dissonance in your life." - Matthew Pridgen

Matthew 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?

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!

#65 Mitchell Osmond: Everything Is Hard - Choose Your Hard

"Literally everything in life is hard. The question is, what cost are you willing to pay? And you pay that willingly and happily because you value it." - Mitchell Osmond

In this episode of Curated Questions, Ken Woodward sits down with Mitchell Osmond, founder of Dad Nation Co., and host of the Dad Nation Podcast (Top 5% globally), to explore a hard but liberating truth: everything in life is difficult; the question is which difficulty we choose.

Mitchell shares the moment a single question at a funeral, “Are you living a life worthy of imitation?” forced him to confront his health, marriage, finances, and legacy. From that reckoning emerged a framework for growth rooted in discomfort, integrity, and honest self-inquiry.

Together, Ken and Mitchell examine why confidence is built through keeping promises, how avoiding hard questions quietly shapes our futures, and why legacy is forged at home as much as at work.

The conversation challenges the myth of ease, reframes struggle as a signal of alignment, and invites listeners to define success on their own terms. Ultimately, this episode is a call to stop outsourcing meaning, and to choose the hard that leads to a life worth living.

Mitchell is launching a new group coaching program, the High Performance Husband Accelerator! All the details can be found at https://www.dadnationco.com/accelerator

Mitchell is offering The Connection Code as a gift. 50 questions to spark the fun and get the fire back is available at https://www.dadnationco.com/code

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Keep questioning!

#59 Ken Woodward: The Insight Pause: When a Single Truth Rewrites Your Story!

"The Insight Pause is sitting in the rubble of your shattered worldview before clearing a single stone." - Ken Woodward

In 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.

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Keep questioning!

#53 Ken Woodward: Impactful Questions: Am I My Brother's Keeper?

"Am I my brother's keeper? Is answered in the daily work of showing up, being challenged, getting it wrong, being corrected, and showing up again." - Ken Woodward

In this solo episode, Ken Woodward explores one of humanity's oldest and most challenging questions: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Born from Cain's evasion after murdering Abel, this question continues to shape how we answer fundamental issues about immigration, homelessness, healthcare, and who deserves our care.

Drawing from his 101-week walk through every street and alley in Washington, DC, Ken reflects on how he spent 50 years answering "no" to this question while convincing himself he was answering "yes." He shares powerful conversations with Raymond Coates about the Sugar House in Charleston, encounters with a woman who demanded accountability, and the devastating costs of both saying yes and saying no.

This episode challenges listeners to examine their own complicity, confront inherited assumptions, and honestly assess who they've decided doesn't count as "brother." Ken offers four concrete takeaways to help transform this ancient question from theological abstraction into daily practice.

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Keep questioning!

#48 Ken Woodward The Curated Questions Origin Story: When It All Began!

" Once you have the question, the hard part begins." - Ken Woodward

In this solo episode, host Ken Woodward delves into the origin and development of the 'Curated Questions' project, which began in 2018. Ken shares his personal journey of curiosity, inspiration from Tim Ferriss' podcast, and the influences that led to the creation of his blog and subsequent podcast.

Highlighting notable milestones and influential interviews, Ken discusses the structure and purpose of the Curated Questions website and its various elements, including famous questions and lists. He also reflects on the profound impact of asking meaningful questions, illustrated with personal anecdotes.

The episode encourages listeners to embrace curiosity and engage with the world through the power of well-chosen questions.

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Keep questioning!

#39 Scott Johnson: How Asking 'What Was That Like' Creates Extraordinary Connection

In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward engages with Scott Johnson, the creator of the 'What Was That Like' podcast. The discussion examines how Scott's podcast cultivates profound human connections through storytelling. Scott shares insights into his journey from a computer business owner to a podcaster, revealing the meticulous preparation and empathy required to capture extraordinary true stories. They delve into themes like the power of questions, creating safe spaces for sharing trauma, and Scott's personal journey of religious deconstruction. Highlights include profound and outlandish stories from Scott’s podcast, the impact of a supportive community, and using personal pain to create purpose. The episode is an insightful exploration of how curiosity and storytelling can break down barriers and build authentic connections.