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Week 10 - The Cutting Edge: Awe Wonder and Beauty

https://courses.edx.org/courses/course-v1:BerkeleyX+GG101x+1T2018/courseware/ad36f687c6e64638b08efb624ccccfb4/436ade5d2c2242eb95ff3274593ce84e/?child=first

helpful summary of awe^
  • Awe
    • The feeling of being in the presence of something vast and greater than the self, that exceeds current knowledge structures
    • History of Awe
      • a religious experience, being in presence of God
      • Edmond Burke's revolution, secular awe
        • he maps out the sensations that create this experience
      • Immanuel Kahn : Awe vs Beauty
      • Ralph waldo emerson : transcendent self in nature
    • We have an evolved love for natural beauty (E.O wilson writing on biophilia)
    • Benefits of awe
      • awe heightens senses of kindness and altruism
      • people who experience awe would be less likely to feel impatient
      • when presented w information, causes ppl to be much more vigilant about quality of information
      • can boost immune system
        • lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are proteins that signal the immune system to work harder
        • high levels of cytokines are associated with poorer health and such disorders as type-2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and even Alzheimer’s disease and clinical depression
      • makes us generous
        • When people experience awe they really want to share that experience with other people, suggesting that it has this particularly viral component to it
    • Benefits of "Green":
      • significantly lower crime rates 
      • better concentration, self-discipline
      • communities are happier and feel safer
    • Spirituality and Happiness
      • spiritual ppl report higher levels of happiness, and less likely to have depression
        • its a community
        • centrality of feeling of awe, being connected to something bigger than oneself
    • Brief Experiences of Awe
      • Boost happiness
      • Increase intellectual curiousity
      • Deepen sense of modesty and humility
      • Lower cytokine levels (good for health)
  • Awe inspiring activities
    • laughter
      • emerges like a reflex very early in the mind of the human infant
      • ppl think of laughter as a behavioral response to contradictory pieces of information where what you assume to be true proves not quite to be true when you look at other information in the world
      • evolutionarily, laughs show that we want to play
      • bursts of air coming out of the mouth that create the particular acoustic elements
      • Laughter as medicine:
        • decreases blood pressure
        • enhances immune function
        • reduces chronic pain
        • coupled w exercise regime, improves health in elderly populations
        • laughter therapy improves depression and sleep quality in the elderly
      • Laughter and relationships:
        • laughter predicts relationship satisfaction, laughing together frequently is key to marital success
    • Play and the pursuit of happiness
      • play is a key pathway to well-being, both early on and later in life 
      • criteria to be considered play:
        • Apparently purposeless
        • Voluntary
        • Inherently attractive (fun)
        • Feel free of time contraints
        • Diminished consciousness of self
        • Improvisational
      • Functions of play
        • Teaches boundaries between the safe and the harmful or transgressive
        • Teaches skills
        • Identity formation
        • Knowledge of the physical world
        • Empathy/theory of the mind
      • elementary school children become increasingly inattentive in class when recess is delayed
      • elementary schools over a period of four years found that regular physical activity had positive effects on academic performance
  • Power of Narrative
    • Two forms of narrative:
      • "Micro-narratives" - narrate daily stresses and triumphs (e.g. through expressive writing exercises)
        • narrating difficulties, frustration, stresses in the simple writing expressive paradigm leads to increased happiness and reduced stress
      • Telling the meta-narrative of your Self and your life's journey
        • themes of harm, suffering, and compassion
    • Benefits of narrative
      • More vivid and engaging narratives predict increased well-being later in life
      • More possible "selves" buffers us against depression
      • writing about "best possible self" increases health and happiness
  • Fine-Print : Who gets happy?
    •  whether or not someone believes a happiness-increasing activity will work also comes into play
    • the amount of effort someone puts into increasing their happiness has a large effect on whether or not an activity works
    •  adults get more out of positive activities than adolescents and college-aged students
    • possibly mildly depressed people would benefit more than people who are not depressed at all


Happiness Practice #10 - awe walk



Awe Walk



This practice involves taking an awe-inspiring walk.

With the right attitude, awe can be found almost anywhere, but it is most likely to occur in places that involve two key features: vastness and novelty. These could include natural settings, like a trail lined with tall trees, or urban settings, like the top of a skyscraper.

Here are some ideas:

Natural settings:
Hike up a mountain with panoramic views
Walk along a trail lined with tall trees
Walk along the shore of an ocean, lake, river, or waterfall
Walk outside on a clear night and look up at the stars
Walk to a place where you can watch a sunset or sunrise

Urban settings:
Climb to the top of a skyscraper
Visit a historic monument
Explore a part of the city that you’ve never seen before
Take a tour of a large ballpark or stadium
Go on a city art walk and explore different galleries
Visit the botanical gardens or a zoo to see plant and animal species you’ve never seen before
Walk around with no destination in mind and see where it takes you

Indoor settings:
Walk slowly around a museum, giving your full attention to each piece of artwork
Visit a planetarium or aquarium
Take a tour of a historic mansion, cathedral, or opera house


Take a moment to think about where you might go for your Awe Walk (it doesn't need to be listed above), and write your idea(s) in the space below.


During your walk, consider these general guidelines:

1. Turn off your cell phone. Cell phones can be distracting and draw your attention away from what’s happening around you. Even better, don’t bring your phone with you at all so that you won’t be tempted to check it.

2. Tap into your child-like sense of wonder. Young children are in an almost constant state of awe since everything is so new to them. During your walk, try to approach what you see with fresh eyes, imagining that you’re seeing it for the first time.

3. Go somewhere new. Each week (or month, or whatever frequency works for you), try to choose a new location. You’re more likely to feel awe in a novel environment where the sights and sounds are unexpected. That said, some places never seem to get old, so there’s nothing wrong with revisiting your favorite spots if you find that that consistently fill you with awe.


Is there a day in the next week when you might have time to do this practice? If so, write it in the space below.


Put your Awe Walk on your calendar and make a note to take care of any advance arrangements that may be needed (e.g., tickets).





Your Happiness Practice Person-Activity Fit Diagnostic


Below, you will be asked to reflect on the happiness practices we suggest in this course to find out which ones are the best "fit" for you. For each practice, reflect on what it would be like to engage in each activity every week for an extended period of time. Then rate each activity, using the scale provided, on the following dimensions: Natural, Enjoyment, Value, Guilt, and Situation. These words describe different reasons for why you might choose to engage in a given activity:

Natural: I'll keep doing this activity because it will feel "natural" to me, and I'll be able to stick with it.

Enjoyment: I'll keep doing this activity because I'll enjoy doing it; I'll find it to be interesting and challenging.

Value: I'll keep doing this activity because I'll value and identify with doing it; I'll do it freely even when it's not enjoyable.

Guilt: I'll keep doing this activity because I would feel guilty, ashamed, or anxious if I didn't do it; I'll force myself to do it.

Situation: I'll keep doing this activity because my particular situation will compel me to or because somebody else will want me to.


THREE GOOD THINGS


This exercise asks you to remember and list three positive things that have happened in your day so far and consider what caused them.

For this happiness practice, please rate from 1 to 7: how natural it feels, how much you enjoy it, how much you value it, how compelled you feel to do it out of guilt, and how compelled you feel to do it because of your situation.

1 - Not at all234 - Somewhat567 - Very much

ACTIVE LISTENING


This exercise asks you to express active interest in what another person has to say in order to make him or her feel heard—a way to foster empathy and connection.

For this happiness practice, please rate from 1 to 7: how natural it feels, how much you enjoy it, how much you value it, how compelled you feel to do it out of guilt, and how compelled you feel to do it because of your situation.

1 - Not at all234 - Somewhat567 - Very Much

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS


This exercise asks you to perform five acts of kindness in one day as a way of both promoting kindness in the world and cultivating happiness in yourself and others.

For this happiness practice, please rate from 1 to 7: how natural it feels, how much you enjoy it, how much you value it, how compelled you feel to do it out of guilt, and how compelled you feel to do it because of your situation.

1 - Not at all234 - Somewhat567 - Very Much

EIGHT ESSENTIALS WHEN FORGIVING


This exercise outlines several steps that are essential to the process of forgiveness, breaking this difficult experience down into more manageable components.

For this happiness practice, please rate from 1 to 7: how natural it feels, how much you enjoy it, how much you value it, how compelled you feel to do it out of guilt, and how compelled you feel to do it because of your situation.

1 - Not at all234 - Somewhat567 - Very Much

MINDFUL BREATHING


This exercise asks you to focus your attention on your own breathing—an important skill to help you deal with stress and negative emotions and sharpen your skills of concentration.

For this happiness practice, please rate from 1 to 7: how natural it feels, how much you enjoy it, how much you value it, how compelled you feel to do it out of guilt, and how compelled you feel to do it because of your situation.

1 - Not at all234 - Somewhat567 - Very Much

BODY SCAN MEDITATION


This exercise asks you to systematically focus your attention on different parts of your body, from your feet to the muscles in your face.

For this happiness practice, please rate from 1 to 7: how natural it feels, how much you enjoy it, how much you value it, how compelled you feel to do it out of guilt, and how compelled you feel to do it because of your situation.

1 - Not at all234 - Somewhat567 - Very Much

LOVING KINDNESS MEDITATION


This exercise asks you to tap into your pro-social and affectionate feelings and motivations, to apply them to yourself and then to direct them towards others.

For this happiness practice, please rate from 1 to 7: how natural it feels, how much you enjoy it, how much you value it, how compelled you feel to do it out of guilt, and how compelled you feel to do it because of your situation.

1 - Not at all234 - Somewhat567 - Very Much

SELF-COMPASSIONATE LETTER


This exercise asks you to write a letter to yourself expressing compassion for an aspect of yourself that you don’t like.

For this happiness practice, please rate from 1 to 7: how natural it feels, how much you enjoy it, how much you value it, how compelled you feel to do it out of guilt, and how compelled you feel to do it because of your situation.

1 - Not at all234 - Somewhat567 - Very Much

BEST POSSIBLE SELF


This exercise asks you to imagine your life going as well as it possibly could in the future, then write about this best possible future.

For this happiness practice, please rate from 1 to 7: how natural it feels, how much you enjoy it, how much you value it, how compelled you feel to do it out of guilt, and how compelled you feel to do it because of your situation.

1 - Not at all234 - Somewhat567 - Very Much

GRATITUDE LETTER


This exercise encourages you to express gratitude in a thoughtful, deliberate way by writing—and, ideally, delivering—a letter of gratitude to a person you have never properly thanked.

For this happiness practice, please rate from 1 to 7: how natural it feels, how much you enjoy it, how much you value it, how compelled you feel to do it out of guilt, and how compelled you feel to do it because of your situation.

1 - Not at all234 - Somewhat567 - Very Much

GRATITUDE JOURNAL


This exercise asks you to write down things for which you are grateful—a habit that can foster an attitude of gratitude in just a few weeks.

For this happiness practice, please rate from 1 to 7: how natural it feels, how much you enjoy it, how much you value it, how compelled you feel to do it out of guilt, and how compelled you feel to do it because of your situation.

1 - Not at all234 - Somewhat567 - Very Much

AWE WALK


This practice asks you to take a short walk someplace and focus on the qualities of that experience that challenge and expand your typical way of seeing the world.

For this happiness practice, please rate from 1 to 7: how natural it feels, how much you enjoy it, how much you value it, how compelled you feel to do it out of guilt, and how compelled you feel to do it because of your situation.

1 - Not at all234 - Somewhat567 - Very Much

Please click the [>>] button to the bottom right to see your fit scores.



Comments

  1. Ms. DunleyMay 10, 2018 at 10:38 AM

    Did you find that awe fit well with the direction you want your presentation to go?

    ReplyDelete

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