We often think of awe as a solitary experience when witnessing a beautiful sight. It absolutely can be. However, awe can also be very powerful when experienced with others (Graziosi & Yaden, 2021). When I think of awe experiences that I’ve had through social interactions, various blurs of uncontrollable laughs shared with friends come to mind, along with eye-opening moments from small group discussions or that hair-raising connection felt at large gatherings. One experience from a few years ago particularly stands out, though, in the way it has impacted me since.
It was a sunny December day, and I was sitting behind the desk at work, unsuspecting of anything other than a normal Tuesday. I began chatting with a coworker seated next to me, mostly about our plans for the upcoming year and difficult career decisions my coworker was working through. Hoping to shift the conversation to something more encouraging, I asked him if there was anything fun and not stressful going on in his life.