The Importance of Awe
Welcome Back! I hope for our students, faculty, staff, and parents that you were able to enjoy the break and quality family time. Having just returned from southeastern Utah where I climbed, mountain biked, hiked, and explored a variety of locales around Moab, Arches, Canyonlands, Needles, and Cedar Mesa, I am reminded about taking a step back from the day-to-day routine and finding time to just be amazed at something.
The area that I was exploring is a land that was once dominated by the ancestral Puebloan and Fremont peoples. Evidence of their lives is seen through ruins, but also by engaging rock art. It is clear that their connection to the land was a defining element of their lives. Scholars have noted the close connection to place and the cosmology that was developed around it. I saw many petroglyphs and pictographs that recorded their lives and their understanding of their place in the universe. Although we can't fully understand what these ancient peoples were trying to say, we can appreciate and respect their search for meaning.
I have been hanging on to this post by educator Vicki Zakrezewski who writes about the importance of teaching children to embark on that same search – and what an impact it can make in their lives for a very, very long time.
Imagine being Ryan Hreljac’s first grade teacher. After telling your class of six- and seven-year-olds that children in Africa are dying because of lack of clean water, Ryan, one of your students, is so moved he has to do something. What starts as extra vacuuming at home to earn money for wells eventually turns into Ryan’s Well Foundation that, to-date, has brought safe water and sanitation services to over 789,900 people.
As his teacher, you helped Ryan start on the path to a life purpose, which, according to research, may be one of the greatest services you ever render to your students.
William Damon, leading expert in human development and author of The Path to Purpose, states that students today may be high achievers but they have no idea what for. He believes that this sense of meaninglessness is one of the main contributors to the skyrocketing suicide and depression rates amongst our youth. One sample statistic: the American College Health Association reported in 2011 that 30 percent of undergraduates were so depressed they could hardly function.
To combat this meaninglessness, Damon argues that students need to find a purpose in life—something that is meaningful to themselves and that also serves the greater good. In a series of studies of over 1,200 youth ages 12 to 26, Damon found that those who were actively pursuing a clear purpose reaped tremendous benefits that were both immediate and that could also last a lifetime.
More immediate benefits included extra positive energy that not only kept students motivated, but also helped them acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue their purpose, making them very strong learners. Youth with a strong sense of purpose also benefited from positive emotions such as gratitude, self-confidence, optimism, and a deep sense of fulfillment—all of which scientists have found help prevent depression and anxiety.
Students who carry this sense of purpose into adulthood may also benefit in the long run. Research shows that adults who feel their lives have meaning and purpose are happier, more successful at work, and have stronger relationships.
So what does this mean for educators (and parents)? In-depth interviews of 12 purpose-driven youth from Damon’s studies revealed that all of them came to their purpose through people outside their immediate families, including their teachers.
In his book, Damon suggests several ways teachers can help their students discover a sense of purpose, such as asking students about what’s most important to them and talking about your own sense of purpose as a teacher.
But new research suggests another way: awe.
While the research on awe is still fairly new, several studies conducted by the Greater Good Science Center’s Dacher Keltner have shown that the experience of awe has the potential to turn students’ lives in a new direction.
Here’s how awe works: When we experience an inspiring work of art or a grand vista in nature or learn a new mind-expanding theory, we often feel a sense of vastness that gives us a new perspective on the world and our place in it. These two steps make up the emotion awe.
Keltner has found that awe makes us feel connected to something larger than ourselves—a crucial and necessary aspect of purpose. According to Damon, without this larger connection, students are less likely to maintain their inspiration, motivation, and resilience in the face of challenges.
Imagine how life-changing this emotion could be for students who are struggling to find meaning in their lives and schoolwork! An awe experience has the potential to open their minds to new ways of thinking, including what their place in the world might be….
Helping students find a path to purpose is one of the noblest aspects of teaching. As Damon writes, “This is how all young people should feel about life when they are starting out. Idealism, high hopes, enthusiasm, and a sense of awe and wonder in exploring the world around them.”
© 2023 Colorado Academy
