Researcher Dacher Keltner discusses awe's transformative effects, inducing a sense of smallness in a vast universe. Awe inspires altruism and better behavior. The episode explores seeking awe in everyday life, personal experiences, and the power of being awestruck.
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Quick takeaways
Experiencing awe can lead to feeling small in the vast universe, motivating us to do good.
Seeking moments of awe in daily life can bring magic, wonder, and transformative experiences.
Deep dives
Awe as a Source of Reconnection
The podcast explores how awe can help us reconnect with the world and find enchantment even in challenging times. It emphasizes the importance of seeking moments of awe in daily life to experience magic and wonder, highlighting the transformative power of awe in navigating difficult circumstances.
Awe in Times of Grief
The episode delves into the role of awe in dealing with grief, specifically the author's personal experience of losing his brother to cancer. It discusses how the pursuit of awe during grief can provide new perspectives, comfort, and transformative experiences, aiding in the healing process and offering profound moments of reflection.
The Complexity and Dark Side of Awe
The episode explores the multifaceted nature of awe, acknowledging its dark side and potential for failures. It delves into how awe can lead to patterns that don't exist, attachment to charismatic figures, and exploitation, while also reflecting on the challenges of seeking awe in a world that often commodifies and exploits it.
Awe and Humility
The discussion highlights the connection between awe and humility, underscoring the importance of recognizing one's place in the world and appreciating the virtues of others. It explores how awe can foster a sense of humility, openness to different perspectives, and an understanding of our interconnectedness with the world, leading to greater compassion and cooperation.
Dacher’s research attempts to understand this very fleeting, ineffable emotion. He and his colleagues have shown that awe induces a feeling of being small within a vast universe - a radical shift into context. What’s more, by absorbing ourselves in awe, we become better people, more motivated to go out and do good. In this episode, we explore how it feels to experience awe, how we can seek it out in the everyday, and we share the personal experiences of awe that have inspired both of our books.
Dacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the director of the Greater Good Science Center. He has over 200 scientific publications and six books, including Born to Be Good, The Compassionate Instinct, and The Power Paradox. He has written for many popular outlets, from The New York Times to Slate. He was also the scientific advisor behind Pixar’s Inside Out.
Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is available now: US/CAN and UK