SELF-help gurus extol the benefits of 鈥渁wakening the giant within鈥� 鈥� but don鈥檛 dismiss the benefits of feeling small. A diminished sense of self-importance caused by feeling awe can make people more considerate and generous.
of the University of California, Irvine, and his colleagues instilled a sense of awe in a group of volunteers by asking them to spend 60 seconds staring up at a grove of 60-metre-tall Tasmanian eucalyptus trees. A control group stared up at a less awe-inspiring building. The researchers then staged an accident, dropping a box of pens. The group that had gazed at the trees were more helpful and picked up more pens.
Further studies involving the tree-gazing exercise showed that awe also encourages people to endorse more ethical decisions and lower their sense of entitlement ().
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鈥淣o matter who you are, awe has that effect,鈥� says Piff 鈥� but many of us are unaware of the fact. 鈥淲e鈥檙e in the midst of an awe deficit. People are prioritising other things.鈥�
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淎wesome views make you鈥� awesome鈥�