"As children, awe came naturally. We would carefully watch an ant walking across the street, look at the clouds, and ask thousands of silly questions. As time progressed, a lot of us learned to bypass those moments and instead fo­cus on efficiency, knowledge, and busyness. In our fast-paced lives, most of us seem to have lost that quiet sense that life is an endless source of mystery and beauty. We should take the time to appreciate both."
"Awe is not childish or naive. It is not about pretending everything is magical or good. Awe is simply the ability to be moved by what we do not fully understand, and right now, we need it more than ever. Awe helps us see beyond ourselves. Several times per day, we tend to have a very narrow point of view-our thoughts are focused on deadlines, fears, and an incredibly long list we need to work through to fix."
"Psychologists studying wonder and awe have found that when one experiences awe, the normal mindset has loosened-be it through nature, thoughts, artwork, or another person demonstrating goodness. This results in decreased defensiveness and self-absorption. Numerous studies have demonstrated that experiencing awe increases one's sense of connectedness to others; at the same time, an individual's receptivity to other viewpoints increases (Keltner and Haidt, 2003)."
As children, awe came naturally through careful observation and countless questions, but modern emphasis on efficiency and busyness erodes that sense. Awe does not require naivety or belief; it is the capacity to be moved by what remains partially unknown. Experiencing awe interrupts narrow, self-focused mindsets, reduces defensiveness and self-absorption, and expands perspective toward a larger whole. Awe increases connectedness to others and receptivity to other viewpoints, offering humility amid a culture of speed and certainty. Brief, attentive moments of wonder can counter burnout and numbness by restoring meaning without demanding certainty or complete explanation.
Read at Psychology Today
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