Self-Transcendent Emotions and Their Social Functions: Compassion, Gratitude, and Awe Bind Us to Others Through Prosociality

Abstract

In this article we review the emerging literature on the self-transcendent emotions. We discuss how the self-transcendent emotions differ from other positive emotions and outline the defining features of this category. We then provide an analysis of three specific self-transcendent emotions—compassion, gratitude, and awe—detailing what has been learned about their expressive behavior, physiology, and likely evolutionary origins. We propose that these emotions emerged to help humans solve unique problems related to caretaking, cooperation, and group coordination in social interactions. In our final section we offer predictions about the self-transcendent emotions that can guide future research.

The Nonverbal Communication of Positive Emotions: An Emotion Family Approach

“…Compassion, sometimes referred to as sympathy, is a desire to help in response to perceiving another’s suffering (see Stellar et al, 2017). It is differentiated from empathy, which is the vicarious experiencing of another’s suffering, because feeling compassion does not necessarily involve suffering and theorists have conceptualised it as a positive emotional experience (Goetz, Keltner, & Simon-Thomas, 2010).…”

The Affective Core of Emotion: Linking Pleasure, Subjective Well-Being, and Optimal Metastability in the Brain

“…When this is not the case, this puts at risk the future well-being of the infant given how slow, maladaptive parental cognitions such as rumination and worry can lead to significant disturbances in the parent–infant relationship (Stein et al, 2012). Interestingly, it has been proposed that long-term social bonds can be fostered by positive moral emotions (Stellar et al, 2017). …”

Awe, spirituality and conspicuous consumer behavior

“…Awe may inspire an alternative and holistic schema to cope with daily life which is closely related to acceptance of uncertainty (Valdesolo & Graham, ) and expands people’s perception of time (Rudd et al, ). As a self‐transcendent emotion, awe leads to a diminishment of one’s focus on the self and encourages greater sensitivity and attachment to others (Stellar et al, ). Awe also motivates curiosity, exploration, and a systematic thinking mode (Valdesolo, Shtulman, & Baron, ).…”

“…Previously, awe has attracted the interest of psychologists to study how and why awe affects an individual’s cognition and behavior. Awe is defined as a typical self‐transcendent emotion that encourages individuals to transcend their own personal needs and desires and focus on those of others (Stellar et al, ). Such self‐transcendent emotions can help solve various social problems in social interactions (Stellar et al, ).…”

“…Awe is defined as a typical self‐transcendent emotion that encourages individuals to transcend their own personal needs and desires and focus on those of others (Stellar et al, ). Such self‐transcendent emotions can help solve various social problems in social interactions (Stellar et al, ). For example, inspiring or experiencing awe will help individuals to coordinate interactions with others.…”