Dacher Keltner

Dacher Keltner

Psychologist, UC Berkeley

A middle-aged man with blonde hair wearing a black zip-up jacket, smiling at the camera against a plain white background.

Dacher Keltner is a social psychologist who focuses on the prosocial emotions, such as love, sympathy and gratitude, and processes such as teasing and flirtation that enhance bonds. He has conducted empirical studies in three areas of inquiry. A first looks at the determinant and effects of power, hierarchy and social class. A second in concerned with the morality of everyday life, and how we negotiate moral truths in teasing, gossip, and other reputational matters. A third and primary focus in on the biological and evolutionary basis of the benevolent affects, including compassion, awe, love, gratitude, and laughter and modesty. Professor Keltner is Co-Director of The Greater Good Science Center and the author of Born to Be Good.

A beam of light shines through clouds in a painted sky, with the word "AWE" in large yellow letters centered in the image.
14 min
Why Einstein called awe the fundamental emotion
If you’ve gotten goosebumps when hearing a story about a stranger’s selfless heroism, or you’ve felt your chest swell at a concert, when the audience’s voice and the musician’s instruments align, you have felt awe. And, according to professor Dacher Keltner, who has spent his life studying it, it’s one of humankind’s most unifying traits:
4 min
Dacher Keltner Discusses the State of Morality in America
The Berkeley professor charts the moral decline of a nation.
2 min
How to Live a Meaningful Life
Dacher Keltner on how to sync your emotions.
2 min
The Happiness Paradox
The pursuit of happiness is essential and vital to our culture, but there is a risk that it turns into navel-gazing.
2 min
Dacher Keltner Discusses the Importance of Physical Contact
The Berkeley professor speaks to the essential need for human-to-human contact.