The Street Wisdom Dictionary of Wonder

Aug 22

Written By Boris H

Absorption is complete mental immersion - you become so engaged that you lose track of time and surroundings. It's what happens during "flow states" in creative work or deep reading.

Admiration focuses on appreciating excellence or virtue in someone or something. Unlike marvelling at complexity, admiration is about recognizing and respecting quality, skill, or moral worth.

Astonishment is sudden surprise mixed with admiration - sharper and more startling than marvelling, like being astonished by an unexpected act of kindness. The poet Theodore Roethke said young poets should live in “perpetual great astonishment”.

Awe is the most intense of these experiences, involving a profound sense of vastness or transcendence that can temporarily overwhelm your usual frame of reference. Awe often makes you feel small in comparison to something greater - whether that's standing before a mountain range, contemplating the universe, or witnessing an act of extraordinary moral courage. It frequently includes a spiritual or transcendent dimension.

Beguile (as an experience of being beguiled) involves being charmed or delighted in a way that's almost deceptive - pleasantly led astray by something's appeal, like being beguiled by a beautiful but possibly dangerous place.

Bewilderment is wonder's more confused cousin - it's the feeling of being puzzled or perplexed, often pleasantly so. You might feel bewildered by an optical illusion or a surprising plot twist.

Captivation is being held by something's compelling power - you're drawn in and find it difficult to look away or think about anything else.

Contemplation is sustained, thoughtful attention - deeper than soft fascination but less seeking than wonder. It's the quiet, reflective state of pondering something meaningful.

Curiosity is perhaps the most fundamental - it's the active desire to learn or know more about something. Unlike wonder, which can be more contemplative, curiosity has a driving, seeking quality that motivates exploration and questioning.

Enchantment involves being captivated by something that seems magical or otherworldly. It's similar to soft fascination but with a more mystical quality - like being enchanted by a moonlit forest or an old fairy tale.

Enthrallment is being completely absorbed or spellbound, almost as if under a spell. You might be enthralled by a gripping story, a charismatic speaker, or a mesmerizing dance performance.

Epiphany is that sudden moment of insight or revelation when something becomes brilliantly clear - wonder transformed into understanding.

Intrigue involves being drawn to something mysterious or puzzling, with an element of suspense or curiosity about hidden aspects.

Marvelling involves a more active cognitive engagement with something that strikes you as remarkable or ingenious. When you marvel at a complex piece of engineering, an elegant mathematical proof, or a bird's intricate nest-building behavior, you're appreciating the skill, complexity, or cleverness involved. It often includes an element of understanding or trying to understand how something works.

Mystification is being pleasantly puzzled by something that seems to defy explanation - like watching a skilled magician or encountering an unexplained natural phenomenon. It's bewilderment with a touch of the mysterious.

Rapture is an intense, almost ecstatic form of fascination or joy. It's similar to awe but more euphoric - the rapture of hearing incredible music or witnessing natural beauty.

Reverence combines deep respect with a sense of the sacred or venerable. You might feel reverence for ancient trees, for a mentor's wisdom, or for cultural traditions. It's related to awe but more focused on honor and respect.

Reverie is a dreamy, meditative absorption - softer than contemplation, more drifting and imaginative. It's the gentle mental wandering that happens when you're moved by something beautiful.

Rhapsody is an emotional state of intense enthusiasm or ecstatic joy, often triggered by art, music, or beauty. It's rapture with more movement and energy.

Soft fascination is a gentle, sustained attention that doesn't require intense focus. It's the calm absorption you might feel watching clouds drift by, listening to rainfall, or observing a garden. This type of attention is restorative rather than demanding - it engages you without mental strain and actually helps restore cognitive capacity.

Spellbound captures being held motionless by fascination, as if by magic - unable to break away from whatever has captured your attention.

Sublime describes encounters with beauty or grandeur so overwhelming it's almost frightening - think of standing at the edge of a vast canyon or in a thunderstorm. It combines awe with a hint of terror at nature's power.

Stupefaction is being stunned into temporary mental blankness by something overwhelming. It's like awe but more paralyzing - the feeling of being so amazed you're momentarily speechless or unable to think clearly.

Transcendence is the feeling of moving beyond ordinary experience into something higher or more meaningful - often accompanying peak moments of awe or spiritual experience.

Veneration is profound respect mixed with love, often for something considered sacred or supremely worthy. It's deeper than reverence and often directed toward people, traditions, or ideals.

Wonder is characterized by curious questioning and a desire to understand. It's the feeling that makes you think "How does this work?" or "Why is this the way it is?" Wonder drives exploration and learning - it's the emotion behind scientific inquiry and philosophical questioning. A child wondering why the sky is blue exemplifies this perfectly.

Wonderment is like wonder's gentler sibling - a quiet, sustained sense of the marvelous without the urgent need to understand. It's the peaceful appreciation of mystery itself.

What’s Street Wisdom again?

Street Wisdom is a creative practice you add to your everyday walk, and we share it every week for FREE in our online and in-person Walkshops.

Very simply put, you take a question for a walk to help you find fresh inspiration. We believe answers are everywhere, all around us, especially when we’re tuned in to our environment. Your question can be about anything - life or work or love or community or the planet or everything in between. Anything you want some fresh inspiration for.

It might be…

A question about work - What’s my next product innovation? How can I best lead my team? How can I achieve more with less energy?
A question about life - What should my next hobby be? How can I meet new people? What don’t I know already? Which of my values do I want to explore more?
A question about love - Should I stay with my partner? Should we move to another city? How can I bring all of me to my relationship?
A question about community - How can I best support my local neighbourhood? What’s being called of me in my local area? How can I meet people who don’t share my opinions?
A question about the planet - What do I need to do to help nature flourish? Which volunteering projects shall I contribute to? What does the planet want me to do next?
A question about… [ANYTHING!] - Street Wisdom works for practically any question. We simply suggest you make it as simple as possible (could your 11 year old self understand it?) and it’s often nice to put it in the third person eg “What are [insert your name]’s next steps with the job?” Putting it in the third person helps give you a bit of perspective.

The idea is, once you have your question, that you take it for a walk and - once you’ve tuned in to the world around you through our easy three-part process (which you learn on a FREE Walkshop) - the streets send you fresh answers that directly relate to your question through signs and signals as you wander. You might find you:

Walk down a dead-end street - and realise you’re in a professional or personal cul-de-sac
Hit a roundabout - and realise you’ve got a decision to make and so many options (which one will you take?)
Look up! - and realise you’re trapped in the everyday detail and need to see the bigger picture more
See a curve ahead - and realise you want to preview the future (what’s exciting or alive-making or scary round the corner?)
Reach a fork in the road - and have to decide which option to take. Now’s the time!

Suddenly, the world is rich with meaningful sounds, sights, images, patterns, words, posters, overheard conversations, colours, animals, birds, nature, cloud formations (looking up is great!) - all kinds of things.

The world is there for you, if you keep your mind and heart open!

Try it right now!

This curious practice we’ve developed and refined over the last 15 years is backed by the latest mindfulness, neuroscience, creativity and wellness theory.

To give it a go right now, you can try our five-minute taster, or sign up for an online or in-person Walkshop (yes, walking workshop!) to practise it fully. Once you’ve learned it, you’ve got a skill for life!

Fancy becoming a Street Wisdom host?

It’s really rewarding becoming a Street Wisdom host, bringing strangers together to connect, helping people become more playful, sharing everyday wonder in your local neighbourhood, and giving people a practice and a skill they can enjoy for life!

What does it involve?

Being a Street Wisdom host involves as much or as little as you want it to. Many hosts lead one or two Walkshops a year in their neighbourhood. Some host more, including weekly Walkshops. To become a Street Wisdom Host in your area, get in touch with us at contactus@streetwisdom.org.

Finally, don’t forget

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So get offline, get off your phone, get off on the wonder all around. You deserve it, and the world does too!