Do we have enough wonder in our lives?
Kirk Schneider, adjunct faculty in clinical psychology at Saybrook University, says probably not.
Faculty Bio:
Kirk J. Schneider, Ph.D. is a leading spokesperson for existential-humanistic and existential-integrative psychology, an adjunct faculty member at Saybrook University and formerly Teachers College, Columbia University, and a cofounder and current president of the award-winning Existential-Humanistic Institute. He was also a 2022 candidate for president-elect of the American Psychological Association (APA). Dr. Schneider has authored/coauthored 15 books including Awakening to Awe, The Polarized Mind, The Depolarizing of America , and his latest book: Life-Enhancing Anxiety: Key to a Sane World. He also recently wrote an article called “We Need Raw Awe” for the online magazine Aeon, from which much of this Academic Minute is drawn.
Transcript:
The psychology of awe–or the humility and wonder, sense of adventure toward living–is a hot topic. One of the challenges with this topic however is that it is so often framed as a ‘high’ or short-term lift. That is why I distinguish between the short-term jolt of awe, or what I call ‘quick-boil’ awe, and the lifelong ‘slow-simmer’ form of awe. The quick-boil form of awe tends to link with activities such as visiting the Grand Canyon, taking a mind-altering drug, and attending a breathtaking concert. The slow simmer awe, on the other hand, transforms the exhilarating energy of quick-boil awe into something long-lasting – such as staying open to the radiant scenery of everyday life, making a lifestyle of wonder and discovery, delving deeply into a project, and consistently engaging with life’s many-sidedness, whether unveiled in one’s work or love life, in child-rearing, friendships, or the larger community of which one is a part. In short, as a researcher of the psychology of awe, I am thrilled that the topic is now being highlighted in so many sectors of our culture. But I also want to caution that there is a danger in confining awe to a particular moment or thing—as these can reduce the life-altering qualities of awe and also potentially convert it into idolatry or a commercial product. Slow simmer awe on the other hand, is an attitude that can accompany us for a lifetime; it can not only expand the possibilities for individual vitality, but it can enrich the evolution of our society, from child-rearing to education, and from the work setting to governance.
