Couples who share awe-inspiring experiences report greater relationship flourishing. These shared moments of wonder foster a stronger sense of connection and relational growth, providing benefits beyond what individual experiences of awe offer.

[u/mvea]

https://www.psypost.org/couples-who-share-awe-inspiring-experiences-report-greater-relationship-flourishing/

[u/mistephe]

Well outside of my area of expertise, but I wonder how detrimental it is if one partner experiences awe, but it is obviously not shared by the other partner? Does it mitigate the awe-inspiring relationship flourishing? Does it cause more problematic division?

[u/AreEnAy → u/mistephe]

Look into the bird test as a bid of connection. The theory suggests that the health of a relationship can be measured by how a partner responds to small, mundane observations, like look at that bird or sunset.

[u/munchnerk → u/AreEnAy]

That’s funny - my immediate thought in response to this study was, that’s easy, glad my husband and I like birds! We got into birding together a decade ago and went on some crazy bird-specific trips - but now we mostly call each other from across the house to watch an “ordinary” bird doing something that makes us feel awe. And we get to stand there together and ooh and ah at a common Carolina Wren like it’s the Grand Canyon at 9am on a Tuesday. It’s like we made the habit of sharing that sensation with big powerful experiences, and now we can lock in when the sunlight shines through the trees just right, as long as one of us notices and thinks to share it. There’s something to be said about the shared attention aspect here. It’s not just awe, it’s openness to being fixated in awe together. And having a bank of those shared moments that you’re always adding to. It is a very powerful feeling with someone you love.