To Get Happier, Make Yourself Smaller

"I asked one of them, an economics student, why she enjoyed astronomy so much. She didn't say anything about stars, but she did say something powerful about earthly existence. "When I go into class on Thursday mornings, I usually am stressed out about my life," she told me. "But 90 minutes later, I feel relief because I am just a speck on a speck.""

"We tend to believe that to be happier, we need to become bigger in our own mind, and in the minds of others. But that's wrong. What we really need to achieve both the perspective on life we need and the peace we crave is to get smaller in relation to everything and everyone else. When we experience our own littleness, we stop blocking our ability to see our life in just proportion."

Introductory astronomy appeals strongly to many students, especially non-science majors, by shifting everyday worries into cosmic perspective. A student reported that 90 minutes of astronomy transformed stress into relief by making her feel like "a speck on a speck." Feeling small relative to the universe produces perspective, peace, and humility. Experiencing personal littleness prevents self-absorption and allows clearer judgment about one's life. Most people focus on themselves, not others, and life would continue largely unchanged without any single individual. The illusion of being the center of attention fuels anxiety and distorted self-importance.

Read at The Atlantic