Awe is awesome

John Tierney has quotes some research indicating that, above all, “readers wanted to share articles that inspired awe” (“Will You Be E-Mailing This Column? It’s Awesome” on the New York Times web site). The researchers define awe as an “emotion of self-transcendence, a feeling of admiration and elevation in the face of something greater than the self,” and give the following telling examples: “Seeing the Grand Canyon, standing in front of a beautiful piece of art, hearing a grand theory or listening to a beautiful symphony may all inspire awe. So may the revelation of something profound and important in something you may have once seen as ordinary or routine, or seeing a causal connection between important things and seemingly remote causes.” Here is a confident forecast: once the meanings of “awesome” and “awe-inspiring” finally merge in the minds of future generations, all this useless sharing of uplifting stories will grind to a halt. And no one will even notice