“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.”
-Stephen Hawking
I was exploring the concept of wonder today after an inspirational teaching moment. A process of wondering led to amazing growth in my learners' ability to foresee a future in a current challenge to humanity that they might impact for the better of society. Impacting our world for the better is a key foundation of our practice at the School of Humanity, where we imagine and create a thriving humanity on planet Earth. I devised this short 10-minute exercise while reflecting on Jim Langley's advice.
Jim described the power of wondering in his 8 Minute Window Interview. Jim explained how we can all employ a sense of wonder for our learners, encouraging creativity and imagination and identifying limits to what we know and can comprehend. As an outdoor guide, wonder allows Jim to provide context for learning. It creates powerful connections between his groups and their environment, whether Kilimanjaro or a field meadow in the Alps. Imagine looking up at the movement of clouds. Where might their moisture eventually land? Where has that water been on its journey around the world?
Out of curiosity…
What provides the power in an act of wondering? As pedagogical leadership consultants, we work with schools and educators who are often stuck in the reality of their current situation. Mission statements and values contain a sense of wonder and are intended to inspire practice. Do they inspire awe? It leads me to consider our coaching pedagogy for educators and leaders. Do our client schools allow space for awe and wonder? Do we? There has to be a practical element in all professional development processes. Impact and outcomes are important steps towards a “better” future. I am sitting here now with the idea that wonder and awe are crucial ingredients, and identifying how to make space for that in a highly structured system is a fascinating question.
As a starting point, I found an article by Dacher Keltner particularly insightful and engaging. It is adapted from a book, Awe, by the same author. I plan on reading it next and perhaps recommending it to my colleagues and the learners at School of Humanity. In this article, Dacher introduces the underlying emotion of wonder, awe. I must admit, I have never considered awe in this context. Dacher's storytelling wonderfully brings to life concepts that directly relate to my learners' imagining of a more peaceful future. What does it look like?
A sense of scale…
How can one person make a difference when physical, cultural, or experiential separation is massive? Dacher describes the impact of our physical environments, the massive Yosemite Valley creating a humbler feeling of self, a sense of awe in the surroundings. In nature, this feels positive, inspiring. But the same interpretation, they cannot be moved or changed by an individual, can also be felt when faced with major conflicts. My learners seek to maintain and grow positive peace, a challenge of regional and global context. In this, scale is an inherent concept to acknowledge and wrestle with.
The physical power of emotion…
There is a powerful physical impact of awe. As Dacher describes it, "Awe slows your heart rate, orients your attention toward others, and prompts you to explore and engage with the world. Awe’s effects on the lacrimal glands (tear ducts) make our eyes well up with tears, which studies find are accompanied by a sense of shared identity with others." This profound emotional response highlights the deep connection we can feel with the world around us. In contrast, the impact of conflict on young people is a stark reminder of how distressing experiences can fracture that sense of shared identity. The impact of conflict on young people is challenging to comprehend. For my learners, young people their age are being hurt and killed, losing their education, impacting them on an emotional level and inspiring their wish for change.
Awe and wonder are powerful reflective devices. They encourage us to reconnect and recalibrate with the world around us, using it as a lens to see ourselves. I'll finish by sharing a selection of my learner's responses. If a sense of wonder and awe can inspire them, perhaps it can inspire you, too (Be kind in your reading. They were written by 12–17-year-olds in 5 minutes without drafting).
Prompt:
What do you wonder? Can you wonder what a “better” future might look like in your sub-challenge? Perhaps people and their lives are changing; are physical spaces changing? How does the world look in terms of global peace? Is there more positive peace? What is causing that?
Student Responses:
"I wonder about a world where individuals can engage in challenging but constructive conversations with those holding differing ideologies"
"I wonder about a future where everyone's opinions matter, and we all live as equals in peace and harmony"
"Where a better mutual understanding of each other, and a greater connection to the natural environments supports a growing sense of positive peace."
"I wonder if people will open their doors and share their resources to help refugees when parts of the world become unliveable due to conflict and climate change"
"I can wonder a world in which everyone has equal opportunities"
"I wonder if people will grow together or apart due to the conflicts we have affecting many of us that will have lasting effects for years. I hope that the people of the generations still here will work for peace and communication and gain a safe community"
"I wonder a society where individuals have access to free flow of information which is true and accurate"
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John Bray facilitates and designs learning at School of Humanity and is the Director of Learning at iArticulatementors.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnwilliambray
Websites: https://www.iarticulatementors.org/, www.sofhumanity.com
