Does our capacaity for experiencing awe change with age?

3min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Key takeaways

Transcript

Episode notes

The role of awe in wonder and childhood is an interesting sub-topic for study.
Children need awe, but there are very few studies of awe on children.
Feeling awe in museums leads kids to be more kind and less narcissistic.
In middle age (around 50-55), people tend to lose awe, which may contribute to their least happy moment in life.
Injecting awe in middle age could be beneficial.
Later in life, people may experience more awe, but it is not well studied, and it is still a great question.

Dacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at University of California, Berkeley, who directs the Berkeley Social Interaction Lab. He is also the founder and faculty director of the Greater Good Science Center. His latest book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, is out now.

Become a Genius Life Premium Member and get ad-free episodes of the show, a monthly Ask Me Anything (AMA), and more! Learn more: http://thegeniuslife.com