3.2: Awe
- Page ID
- 208710
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Read this article authored by Leif Hass on How Nature Helps Us Heal¹⁴ and discover why doctors recommend time outside.
Awe encompasses a profound perceptual vastness, compelling us to adjust our mental frameworks to embrace its magnitude. It arises in the face of something that defies our existing understanding of the world, often encountered amidst novelty or enormity. Though predominantly a positive emotional state, awe can also become a characteristic trait, shaping our ongoing perception and response to the world.
Experiencing awe is a profound journey that can be triggered by encounters with religion, nature, art, music, and the wonders of the natural world. It's a deeply personal and often transformative experience that is surprisingly very accessible.
Two themes tend to emerge from these encounters:
- Feeling of being smaller in the presence of something greater than the self
- Motivation to be good to others
The Purpose of Awe
Ever wondered about the purpose of awe? Well, it turns out, awe serves a crucial role as the ultimate collective emotion. This theory was proposed by Dr. Dacher Keltner from UC Berkeley and Dr. Jonathan Haidt from NYU. They argue that experiencing awe motivates us to engage in behaviors that contribute to the greater good, shifting our attention from personal interests to the well-being of our communities. Dr. Paul Piff and Dr. Pia Dietze also have recent work that confirms that dispositional awe is associated with more generosity in an economic game. Recent studies by Dr. Paul Piff and Dr. Pia Dietze at the University of California, Irvine further support this notion, revealing that dispositional awe correlates with increased generosity in economic games. Moreover, inducing awe has been found to enhance ethical decision-making and generosity, while simply being in an awe-inspiring environment fosters greater prosocial behavior.
Read more about Dr. Paul Piff and Dr. Pia Dietze’s Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior¹⁵.
Also, if you would like to hear Dr. Paul Piff discuss his work and the art & science of Awe, you can watch his brief talk called: Can Awe Combat Narcissism?¹⁶
Have you ever come across a video or piece of literature that truly inspired awe within you? These kinds of experiences often share two key elements. Firstly, they create a sense of vastness, whether it's through breathtaking landscapes or remarkable displays of courage. Secondly, they have a way of reshaping our perspective on the world, making our daily concerns seem trivial or expanding our beliefs about human potential.
- What are some of the health benefits of nature
- What is ART (attention restoration theory)?
- How does the topic of awe relate to nature?
Attribution
¹⁴Hass, L. (2021, October 21). How nature helps us heal. Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_nature_helps_us_heal
¹⁵Piff, P. K., Dietze, P., Feinberg, M., Stancato, D. M., & Keltner, D. (2015). Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(6), 883–899. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000018
¹⁶Greater Good Science Center. (2016, July 20). Paul Piff: Can awe combat narcissism? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7Q7wTt4IbA