In this captivating interview, Dacher Keltner, a prominent psychology professor and director of the Berkeley Social Interaction Laboratory, shares his insights into the biological roots of emotion. He discusses the profound healing effects of nature, particularly for veterans coping with PTSD, highlighting the significance of shared experiences. Keltner also explores the everyday encounters of awe and their impact on well-being. Plus, he examines how social class influences emotional expression and ethical behavior, revealing the intricate connections between privilege and civility.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Nature's Healing Power Anecdote
Dacher Keltner shared how his parents influenced his love for nature and awe, combining romantic literature and outdoor experiences.
He partnered with veteran Stacy Bear to help underserved teens and veterans find healing through nature.
insights INSIGHT
Awe's Biological Benefits
Awe from nature reduces inflammation and supports immune function, showing a biological pathway to well-being.
Awe links ancient wisdom and modern science, revealing nature's deep mental and spiritual benefits.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Rafting Trip Healing Anecdote
Keltner described a Sierra Club rafting trip with veterans and teens, capturing their awe and stress reduction through saliva tests and video.
Veterans had a 32% PTSD drop a week later, showing nature's immersive healing power.
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In this book, Dacher Keltner investigates the role of positive emotions in human evolution, arguing against the conventional view that humans are primarily driven by self-interest. He proposes that emotions such as gratitude, amusement, awe, and compassion have evolutionary value and are essential for cooperative societies. Keltner draws on research in emotions, facial expressions, and anthropological data to support his thesis that prosocial behavior was a key survival strategy in early human societies. The book also explores how emotions like embarrassment, touch, and compassion contribute to social order and human well-being[2][3][5].
The power paradox
How We Gain and Lose Influence
Dacher Keltner
In 'The Power Paradox', Dacher Keltner challenges conventional wisdom on power by demonstrating that it is not acquired through domination or coercion, but rather through compassion and selflessness. The book explains how people gain power by enhancing the lives of others and how the experience of having power can lead to its abuse. Keltner outlines twenty 'Power Principles' to help retain power and avoid its corrupting influences. He emphasizes that enduring power comes from a focus on others and that power is given by groups to individuals who advance the greater good. The book also explores the personal and social ills associated with powerlessness and provides recommendations for nurturing and maintaining healthy power[2][3][4].
Recorded in February 2020, this episode of the Matrix Podcast features an interview between Professor Michael Watts, Emeritus "Class of 1963" Professor of Geography and Development Studies at UC Berkeley, and Dacher Keltner, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Berkeley Social Interaction Laboratory. Keltner is also the Faculty Director of the Greater Good Science Center.
Professor Keltner’s research focuses the biological and evolutionary origins of emotion, in particular prosocial states such as compassion, awe, love, and beauty, and power, social class, and inequality. He is the co-author of Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life, The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness, and The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence. Keltner has published over 200 scientific articles, written for many media outlets, and consulted for the Center for Constitutional Rights (to help end solitary confinement), Google, Facebook, the Sierra Club, and for Pixar’s Inside Out.
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