A scientific study shows the benefits of feeling small in the grand scheme of things. An ‘awe walk’ on Surrey’s Leith Hill helped one sceptic see the light
Why am I standing on the edge of the second-highest point in south-east England? Why am I listening to the wind blow through the beech trees, and savouring the spongy tread of the forest floor? Because I’ve come to the Surrey stockbroker belt to take what is known as an “awe walk”.
Awe is, perhaps, a misunderstood emotion. One of the criticisms regularly aimed at younger people is that they are prone to find everything, from iced chocolate mochas to Ed Sheeran records, “awesome”. But the latest clinical research suggests that such an awe-filled attitude might be socially beneficial.
