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The New Science of Everyday Wonder with Dacher Keltner

Nov 26, 2024

Guest

Dacher Keltner

Dacher Keltner, UC Berkeley psychology professor and director of the Greater Good Science Center, studies awe, compassion and moral beauty. He explains what awe is, how moral beauty often triggers it, its role in strengthening social bonds and creativity, and practical ways to cultivate more everyday wonder.

51:32

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Episode notes

insights

INSIGHT

Awe Strengthens Collective Identity

Awe shifts attention from the individual self to collective identity and cooperation.
Keltner links this to human evolution and strengthened social bonds.

insights

INSIGHT

Awe Promotes Systems Thinking

Awe enhances systems thinking by widening awareness of social and ecological networks.
This cognitive shift helps people notice patterns and resources they otherwise miss.

insights

INSIGHT

Wealth Can Dampen Everyday Awe

Materialism and wealth tend to reduce people's orientation toward awe.
Keltner warns rising materialism undermines transcendent experiences and wonder.

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Guest Background and Origins

01:57 • 7min

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Defining Awe and Its Features

09:23 • 2min

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Moral Beauty as a Primary Source

11:31 • 4min

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Awe's Emotional Cluster and Distinctness

15:31 • 2min

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Individual Differences in Awe

17:16 • 2min

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Evolutionary Functions of Awe

19:35 • 2min

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Awe Signals Needs and Belonging

22:00 • 2min

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Wealth, Materialism, and Awe

24:28 • 2min

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Collective Effervescence and Ritual

26:22 • 5min

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Awe, Individualism, and Social Repair

31:05 • 4min

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Prediction, Curiosity, and Innovation

34:35 • 3min

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Awe's Practical Value for Leaders

37:24 • 4min

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Everyday Practices to Cultivate Awe

Research Next Steps and Applications

44:55 • 5min

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Final Practices and Takeaways

The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence

Scott Allender

#930

• Mentioned in 39 episodes

Awe

The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life

Dacher Keltner

In 'Awe', Dacher Keltner presents a sweeping investigation and deeply personal inquiry into the elusive feeling of awe. The book reveals new research alongside an examination of awe across history, culture, and within Keltner's own life. It shows how awe transforms thoughts of self, one’s relationship to the world, and physical reactions to it. Keltner also explores how awe has propelled human evolution, is beneficial to mental and physical health, and can heal grief, build communal bonds, and humble us by making us feel part of something larger than ourselves.

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The compassionate instinct

Dachner Keltner

#6047

• Mentioned in 8 episodes

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.

#8266

• Mentioned in 6 episodes

Born to be good

the science of a meaningful life

Dacher Keltner

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.

Leading in a Non-Linear World

Jean Gomes

During this episode of The Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are in conversation with Dr Dacher Kelter. Dacher is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the director of the Greater Good Science Center. His pioneering research focuses on the cultural and evolutionary origins of compassion, awe, love, beauty, power, social class and social inequality. He has over 200 scientific publications and has written several books, the latest of which is Awe - The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life. In this book, Dr. Keltner investigates the elusive emotion of awe - and presents incredible research on how the emotion of Awe can transform our brains and bodies, and how we can cultivate more experiences of awe in our everyday lives.

Referenced during this episode:
Greater Good In Action - https://ggia.berkeley.edu/

Other reading from Jean Gomes and Scott Allender:
Leading In A Non-Linear World (J Gomes, 2023)
The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence (S Allender, 2023)

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The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

Send a message to The Evolving Leader team

After more than 5 years of hosting The Evolving Leader, Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are launching their new show The Mindset Economy in January 2026. The new show will explore how to live better, work smarter and be connected in a more uncertain world where machines can think.

Available wherever you get your podcasts.

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