A Conversation on Awe, Compassion, and Human Nature Transformation
By Dolores Quintana
The Willows Community School will host AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life on Thursday, November 16, 2023. Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., is the Author of AWE, Faculty Director of the Greater Good Science Center, and Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.
The book asks, “How can we lead a life of joy, meaning, and belonging? Perhaps by experiencing more awe.” The event will take place at The Willows Community School, 8509 Higuera Street, Culver City, 90232.
Dacher Keltner defines awe as “an emotion we experience when we encounter vast mysteries that we don’t understand” and emphasizes that awe can be found in everyday life, stating, “We can find awe anywhere.” After deep investigation and personal inquiry following a period of grief in his life, Dr. Keltner offers how awe in our everyday life may lead to what is most humane in our human nature.
A renowned expert in human emotion’s biological and evolutionary origins, Dr. Keltner’s research focuses on the science of compassion, awe, love, and beauty and how emotions shape our moral intuition. His research interests also span power, status, and social class issues.
A Q&A and Book Signing will follow the talk. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are required, and you can RSVP at The Willows website.
Dr. Keltner, who is the author of The Power Paradox, Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life has written for The New York Times Magazine and London Times and had his research covered in TIME, Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, CNN, NPR, and the BBC. He has served as a scientific consultant for Pixar’s film Inside Out and is the host of The Science of Happiness Podcast, which has 50 million downloads and is ranked a top 10 wellness podcast by Oprah Magazine.
About The Willows: Founded in 1994, The Willows Community School in Culver City, California, is a Developmental Kindergarten through 8th grade non-profit, co-educational independent school enrolling 475 students annually. Nationally recognized as a balanced, progressive educational leader, The Willows’ strong academic program incorporates experiential learning and thematic instruction into a cutting-edge curriculum and integrates technology and the arts into the classroom. Committed to financial assistance, The Willows seeks a broad-based student body with a diversity of race, ethnicity, economics, and learning styles. 40% of its student body is comprised of students of color, and the school annually enrolls students from 58+ zip codes across the greater Los Angeles area.
For more information, please visit The Willows website.
