Musings - Awe-inspired thought - The Byte Size Atheist's perspective

[This is a perspective by The Byte Size Atheist that relates to my April 2, 2015 article about awe-inspired thought, here:  http://www.atheistgoddess.com/musings/awe-inspired/]

October 9, 2015 by The Byte Size Atheist (Twitter)

Link to original article:  http://www.bytesizeatheist.com/blog/2015/10/gratitude-awe-and-humility/

Gratitude, awe, and humility are habits of mind often associated with belief in a supreme being.  It may flow from this that atheists are less likely to feel them.  (The arrogance imputed by some religious folk to atheists would also lead them to conclude we don't often feel humble.)  But one need not believe in a god to feel grateful, awestruck, or humble.

The Oxford Dictionary defines gratitude as "The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness: she expressed her gratitude to the committee for their support."  One part of that definition is about a feeling that one person holds about another who has done you a kindness.  If that was the only way to use the word, then to whom are you directing your feelings of gratitude for enjoying good health, shelter and enough to eat?  The answer suggests itself -- an invisible, omnipotent super being.  But a synonym for grateful is thankful, which can mean simply pleased and relieved.  No super beings need come into it.  When I'm in my best frame of mind I feel thankful for all that is right in my life.  And I'm not alone in thinking there are mental and physical benefits to adopting an "attitude of gratitude"[1] with or without reference to god.

The Collins Dictionary defines awe as "overwhelming wonder, admiration, respect, or dread."  One most commonly feels admiration and respect towards another sentient being, as a believer might towards a god.  But I often feel awe in the sense of overwhelming wonder, without any reference to an invisible super being.  Any TV special by Carl Sagan, or more recently, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson can get me going.[2]  (It's ironic that some of the most awesome qualities of the universe, including its age and the small, off-center role of Earth in it, are the qualities that biblical literalists deny.)

And if you don't find life humbling, you just aren't paying attention.  I undertook a second graduate degree in my forties.  In each intro course in the first year I was acutely aware that the prof was exposing the class to only the tiniest fraction of an academic area that consumed his or her whole career.  The more I learned, the more I was aware of how little I knew.  In the first month of school I told myself that there would be more opportunities to learn new things if I was willing to discard even long held-beliefs when presented with convincing new evidence.  I think that willingness to entertain doubt is a hallmark of humility -- and the antithesis of faith.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[2] To be honest, I feel a sense of wonder going through a car wash.

Link to original article:  http://www.bytesizeatheist.com/blog/2015/10/gratitude-awe-and-humility/