CLP: Humble Thyself: The quiet, transformative power of humility

In a world that prioritizes self-aggrandizing and rewards narcissism, we’re more disconnected, discontented and divided than ever. We need something different. Modern science now supports what ancient wisdom has long suggested: cultivating a life marked by humility can enrich our relationships, improve our work and transform our society. Rooted in groundbreaking research, Daryl Van Tongeren’s talk, presented by the Office of Spiritual Life, will focus on how deliberately developing humility, an often-undervalued character trait and ancient virtue, is central to a life of meaning and purpose. The public is invited to attend.

Van Tongeren completed his Ph.D. in Experimental Social Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011. He was named a 2016 Association for Psychological Science (APS) Rising Star. He won the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 36 (Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality) Margaret Gorman Early Career Award for 2022. He is a Fellow of APS, the Society for Experimental Social Psychology (SESP), the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) and the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR).

He has more than 200 scientific publications on meaning in life, religion and virtues, and his work has been supported by numerous external grants. A social psychologist, he has published over two hundred scholarly articles and chapters on topics such as meaning in life, humility, religion, forgiveness, relationships and well-being. His research has been covered by numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Huffington Post, NPR affiliate radio stations, Scientific American and Men’s Health. He has also coauthored “The Courage to Suffer” (with Sara A. Showalter Van Tongeren).

Van Tongeren has been supported by numerous grants from the John Templeton Foundation, and his research has won national and international awards. He is an associate editor of the Journal of Positive Psychology and a consulting editor for Psychology of Religion and Spirituality and the Journal of Social Psychology. He enjoys running, biking, and hiking near where he lives with his wife, Sara, in Holland, Michigan.