Saying “Wow!” Makes You Happier
After struggling breathlessly up a mountain on legs that feel as heavy as lead, we finally reach the summit, and a cry rises spontaneously from our lips: “Wow!” The magnificent view unfolding below is breathtaking, and the sense of accomplishment that comes from not giving up halfway and overcoming our own limits bursts out in that single exclamation.
To marvel is to be deeply moved by a sense of wonder and admiration—a distinctly human capacity. We all have a natural desire both to express admiration and to receive it. Why do people spend so much time and money visiting famous attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and Niagara Falls? Would they make the journey at all if those places did not make them exclaim, “Wow!”?
Wonder is a driving force behind many of the things we do. We visit museums and art galleries because ancient artifacts and works of art fill us with wonder. Steve Jobs succeeded in part because his new products amazed consumers. Even something as simple as making ourselves look good can come from a desire to admire what we see and to inspire admiration in others.
Wonder is like a spark that kindles the fire of happiness. Some say that one measure of a happy life is how often we find ourselves exclaiming in wonder each day. People who marvel often tend to be happier, and a place filled with exclamations of delight is surely a happy one.
Why Children Are Happier Than Adults
Children marvel at even the smallest things. They exclaim at the sight of an airplane in the sky, a train speeding past, or a tiny insect in the grass. This is one reason children are often happier than adults. When it snows, who is happier: the person who exclaims, “Wow, it’s snowing!” or the person who immediately becomes annoyed thinking about the commute?
As we grow older, gain more experience, and learn more about the world, we tend to marvel less. Yet if we retain the innocent heart of a child, we can see the world with fresh eyes. We do not need to watch a bear perform tricks or enjoy an expensive dinner cruise beneath a night sky filled with fireworks to experience wonder. If we simply take the time to look around us, we will discover that the world is full of things that inspire wonder. We merely fail to notice them because they have become so familiar to us.
There was a man who regained his sight through a corneal transplant after twenty-seven years of blindness. One morning after his sight had been restored, he was riding a motorcycle when he found himself gazing at the sky for a long time. He said the sight of the sky glowing red as the sun was hidden behind the clouds was breathtakingly beautiful. We are surrounded by such beautiful scenes every day. Even the morning dew on a blade of grass or a tiny wildflower can fill us with wonder. After all, is this not the world God created in six days, looking at what He had made each day and seeing that it was good?
Rather than lamenting that there is nothing left to find fascinating or amazing, or wearing ourselves out with our minds fixed solely on making a living, let us learn to marvel at even the smallest things. Gratitude, laughter, and happiness follow those who know how to find wonder in small and seemingly insignificant things.
Exclamations of Wonder: The Sound of Love and Happiness
Where are exclamations of delight heard most often? At celebrations. At a wedding, guests exclaim in admiration when they see the beautifully adorned bride. At a child’s first-birthday celebration, guests delight in every little thing the one-year-old does. At sixtieth- and seventieth-birthday celebrations, cheerful exclamations keep the festive mood alive. No one wears a gloomy expression at a celebration. Everyone is filled with joy and happiness, and those feelings naturally spill over into exclamations of delight.
The French novelist Stendhal regarded admiration as one of the first stirrings of love. This is only natural, for people readily express admiration for those they love. They marvel even at the humblest gift, and when the other person does something even slightly well, they respond with enthusiastic praise: “Wow, that’s wonderful!” or “That’s amazing!” Such exclamations are expressions of love.
We can see this even more clearly in a mother’s love for her child, perhaps the greatest love of all. A mother looks at her newborn and marvels at every tiny thing. When the baby smiles, she exclaims with delight. When the baby can hold its head up, she marvels at that too. When the baby happens to utter something resembling “Mom,” she even claps her hands and exclaims that the baby called her. In this way, a mother communicates with her child through expressions of delight, and the child grows up nourished by a mother’s love-filled exclamations.
Show Your Admiration for Your Family
Television stations hire studio audiences to help make their programs successful. The role of the audience is to respond with admiration and enthusiasm. One lecturer said that whenever he gave a televised lecture, he knew perfectly well that the audience members were reacting enthusiastically on cue from the producer. Even so, their lively responses energized the atmosphere and helped him give a better lecture. Their enthusiastic reactions helped bring about a better result.
Let us put the power of admiration to work at home as well. When a wife prepares a meal, her husband can say, “Mmm, this is so good!” or “Wow, this is delicious!” The next day, he may find an even more impressive meal on the table. Since the meals she prepares contribute to the family’s health, if you want to keep enjoying delicious and nutritious food, show your appreciation. Likewise, when a husband repairs a broken appliance, his wife should not respond indifferently, saying, “Well, a man ought to be able to do that much.” Instead, she can exclaim, “Wow, you can fix this too? That’s amazing!” He may soon start carrying his toolbox around, looking for other ways to help.
The British critic John Ruskin said, “It was probably much happier to live in a small house, and have Warwick Castle1 to be astonished at, than to live in Warwick Castle and have nothing to be astonished at.” If praise is a flower, admiration is a bouquet. To be happy ourselves and bring happiness to our families, all we need to do is express our admiration.
1. Warwick Castle: A medieval castle in Warwick, Warwickshire, England.
In a letter to his brother Theo, Vincent van Gogh wrote, “Admire as much as you can; most people don’t admire enough.” Words like “Wow!” and “Wonderful!” may seem simple, but expressing admiration is a skill. The more we practice it, the more natural it becomes. Just as spirited cheers add energy to a performance, let us add exclamations of delight to our lives and make even ordinary days more joyful. “Oh, happy day!” Today is that very day.
