Research participants who were awestruck after gazing up at a grove of 200-foot-tall eucalyptus trees for 1 minute showed enhanced helping behavior toward a researcher who “accidentally” dropped a box of pens: They picked up 10% more of the pens than did participants who had gazed up at a non-awe-inspiring tall building, says a team led by Paul K. Piff of the University of California, Irvine. By diminishing a person’s focus on himself or herself, feelings of awe may encourage an individual to forgo self-interest and take action to improve others’ welfare, the researchers say.
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