The work behind the perspective
Dacher Keltner
UC Berkeley Psychology Professor, Pioneer in Emotion, Power, and Awe Research
- Awe
- Compassion
- Gratitude
- Beauty
- Love
- Humility
About Dacher Keltner
Dacher Keltner - Biography
Dacher Keltner is a distinguished professor of psychology at UC Berkeley, where he directs the Greater Good Science Center and leads research on human emotion, power dynamics, and awe. He hosts the award-winning Science of Happiness podcast.
Dacher Keltner serves as a distinguished professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, with a career focused on advancing the scientific understanding of human emotion, the effects of power, and the experience of awe. He directs UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, an institution dedicated to studying and promoting well-being through research on compassion, gratitude, and related topics. Throughout his tenure, Keltner has been recognized for pioneering contributions that have shaped psychological discourse on these themes. Keltner is an award-winning psychologist and bestselling author whose books explore emotional intelligence, power structures, and positive psychology. He hosts The Science of Happiness podcast, co-produced by PRX and the Greater Good Science Center, where he features guests and practices grounded in empirical research to foster joy and meaning. In recent years, Keltner's influence has extended through honors such as a lifetime achievement award from the Association for Psychological Science in September 2025, affirming his leadership in emotion and awe studies.
Learn from Dacher when you're...
- Experiencing emotional disconnection and needing to foster compassion in relationships
- Seeking ways to cultivate awe for personal transformation or mental health benefits
- Struggling with feelings of ingratitude or lack of wonder in daily life
- Exploring beauty and nature to reduce stress and enhance well-being
- Navigating power imbalances in leadership or workplace hierarchies
- Addressing social inequality's impact on personal or community motivation
- Building humility to improve self-awareness and interpersonal dynamics
- Developing practices for self-transcendence, such as through meditation or nature exposure
What can you ask about Dacher Keltner's work?
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Best for these goals
- ✓Awe
- ✓Compassion
- ✓Gratitude
- ✓Beauty
Core frameworks
- •Kindness triggers the brain’s reward system
- •Greed, hatred, and delusion as sources of suffering
- •The essence of compassion practice is 'Just like me.'
- •Awe
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