How then to achieve humility (especially if you find yourself in a relatively fortunate socio-economic position)? One answer is to practice the simple act of bowing down, as the Japanese do in everyday social life, and as many religious people do before God. This gesture actually activates the vagus nerve, according to Keltner. “People are starting to think about the mind-body interface in these acts of reverence,” he explained in a 2016 Silicon Valley talk.
