The Power of Awe

In our daily diary studies, one source of awe was by far the most common. Other people, regular acts of courage, bystanders, diffusing fights and standing up to abusive power holders inspired awe. So did the simple kindness of others, seeing someone give money to a broke friend or assist a stranger on the street. But you don't need a serendipitous encounter with a good Samaritan to experience awe. We often find inspiring stories in literature, poetry, film, art, and the news. When we see or even just read about others doing acts of kindness or standing up for social justice, we feel better and more likely to perform such deeds ourselves.