The Power of Emotions

The Power of Emotions

To truly appreciate awe and wonder, let's begin with the brain. The human brain is incredibly intricate, full of interwoven functions that help us navigate life. One way it does this is through two types of thinking: System 1 and System 2, concepts popularized by Daniel Kahneman (2011). System 1 is the fast, automatic thinking—like the instant anger you feel when someone cuts you off in traffic. It’s instinctual, requiring no conscious effort. On the other hand, System 2 is slower and more deliberate. If you get cut off and have a flare of anger come up, before slamming the horn like System 1 would do, System 2 may pop up and say, “Hmm, that driver is going fast; maybe they are running late for something and didn’t see me.” System 2 thinking turns the alarms off in our brain and helps us to stay calm and have more reason. These two systems work together to help us process the world around us.

For a long time, emotions were viewed as less valuable than rational thought, seen as more primitive or animalistic. But psychologist Paul Ekman challenged that notion, showing that emotions are essential to how we function. Emotions, according to Ekman (1992), are brief feeling states accompanied by distinct thoughts, expressions, and physiology; thus, altering one’s actions and enabling one to adapt to their surroundings. Emotions guide our actions and help us adapt to our environment, playing a crucial role in evolution and survival (Ekman, 1992). This new understanding led to deeper exploration of emotions like fear, anger, and love, and eventually more complex ones like embarrassment, shame, and pride. By mapping the “emotional brain,” neuroscientists have uncovered the complexities and necessities of having diverse emotions (Fredrickson, 2003; Lench et al., 2011; Tangney et al., 1996). However, despite this progress, the emotion of awe has not had as much of a spotlight—at least not until now.

Awe is unique because it contrasts with many other emotions. While most emotions focus on self-preservation, awe pushes us to look beyond ourselves and connect with something larger (Keltner, 2023). This outward focus might explain why awe didn’t get much scientific attention initially—it doesn’t fit neatly into the self-centered framework that many emotions do. Awe is about sacrifice and serving, implying that one’s true nature is collective rather than individualistic. It wasn’t until researchers Keltner and Haidt officially defined awe in 2003 that it began to gain the recognition it deserves.

To put emotions and awe into perspective, consider the Pixar masterpiece Inside Out. The main character Riley’s eleven-year-old brain contains five emotions—joy, anger, sadness, disgust, and fear. The film creatively portrays the interaction between emotions and actions, or the“inside and outside” of one’s mind. Emotions can change the internal landscape, or the “inside” of one’s brain, affecting how they interact with the outside world. For example, studies have revealed that when one feels fear, they will perceive more uncertainty in their romantic relationship, think it is more likely for them to die from a deadly disease or terrorist attack, and detect a spider on a computer screen more readily than others (Lerner et al., 2015; Oxley et al., 2008). More broadly speaking, feeling fear can drive one to see the world as more threatening and dangerous. This shift in perception shows how powerful emotions can be in shaping one’s reality.

Emotions drive action, the “outside” of one’s brain. For example, in the film, Riley had a bad day at school. This bad day at school and apprehension carried over to her conversation at the dinner table with her parents. After her parents tried to find out what was wrong, Riley’s internal emotions shifted to anger, and her perception transformed into actions, which included yelling at her parents. Her emotions propelled her forward to act on a situation. She rolls her eyes, yells, slams the table, and stomps up the stairs during and after the argument. Although it wasn’t the most adaptive behavior for solving her issue, she did act on the emotions that were inside of her. To watch this scene, go to this link. Overall, emotions are more than fleeting states of mind. They influence one’s thoughts and perceptions of the world, and in doing so, they move one to behave and act in ways that help them navigate life.

So, how does awe apply? Although the emotion of awe is not included in the movie, it would make a strong contender. Awe challenges the default self, which focuses on how one is distinct from other people, independent, in control, and oriented toward a competitive advantage (Keltner, 2023). While this self-focus can help one achieve goals, too much of it can lead to problems like anxiety, rumination, self-criticism, and even depression (Keltner et al., 2014). In contrast, awe can help break down these self-centered tendencies, opening one up to a broader, more connected way of being.

The benefits associated with awe are numerous. First, awe influences general pro-sociality, which refers to actions intended to benefit others (Jiang & Sedikides, 2021). Awe encourages a sense of belonging, promotes humility, decreases daily stress and stress-related symptoms, increases well-being in daily life satisfaction, and is associated with compassion, gratitude, optimism, joy, and love (Anderson et al., 2018; Stellar et al., 2018). With all these benefits, it is likely that one will gain a sense of power, psychological well-being, be more self-determined, and have more autonomous motivation through awe (Anderson et al., 2018; Stellar et al., 2018). So, maybe in another sequel for Inside Out, Riley’s older self can have the emotion of awe to help her navigate life's adventures.

VIDEOS:

Keltner Discussing the Vagus Nerve

The Biological Effects of Sympathy, Gratitude and Awe