Awe can lead to less us-versus-them thinking

May 2017

Experiencing awe can reduce your preoccupation with yourself, and allow you to lose yourself in something much bigger. This, according to research by Paul Piff, assistant professor of psychology and social behavior, helps lead a person to seek what's best for the collective interest and breaks the cycle of us-versus-them thinking.

"By diminishing the emphasis on the individual self, awe may encourage people to forgo strict self-interest to improve the welfare of others," Piff told Psychology Today. "When experiencing awe, you may not, egocentrically speaking, feel like you're at the center of the world anymore."

Read the story.