You Don't Need Kilimanjaro to Feel Awe
Awe is the feeling of stepping out of the ordinary and encountering something vast, mysterious and beyond your comprehension.
Psyche describes it as a human universal, rooted in our evolutionary history to make us feel connected to the world beyond us.
Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at UC Berkeley, argues in a Psyche video that you don't need to summit Mount Kilimanjaro or see the Northern Lights to get its rewards.
AI-generated discussion · Different perspectives
Take
Awe is defined by vastness and mystery, not by a destination; Keltner's point is that the mountain is optional.
Pushback
Optional, yes, but if awe is a human universal rooted in evolutionary history, the everyday version may be a quieter thing than the definition's 'beyond comprehension' suggests.