“Wonder”

We often take the world for granted, checking off the mundane tasks of our “to do list” without looking up towards broader horizons and open skies. Exclusively focusing on the practical, one can lose touch with the awe, mystery and wonder that we felt as a child. In the words of John Stuart Mill, “It is not understanding that destroys wonder, it is familiarity.” How can we keep the unfamiliar in our lives? What is “wonder” and how can it help inspire us to live more fully?

Hugh Taft-Morales joined the Baltimore Ethical Society as its professional leader in 2010, the same year he was certified by the American Ethical Union as an Ethical Culture Leader. He also serves as Leader of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia. His presence in Ethical Culture has been termed “invigorating.” Taft-Morales lives in Takoma Park, Maryland, with his wife Maureen, a Latin American Analyst with the Congressional Research Service, with whom he has three beloved children, Sean, Maya, and Justin.