In the words of the German Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, astonishment is a “valde philosophicus affectus”. In everyday life astonishment is usually not viewed as a philosophical act, but it denotes any kind of amazement. The following contribution examines to what extent astonishment means more than being bewildered. It is a specific not reproducible incidence, an occurrence comparable to the beginning of a new learning experience. Such an event takes place suddenly and cannot be repeated in the same way and under the same circumstances. In the course of being astonished something that was taken for granted is lost, without being replaced by something new.
Therefore, both, astonishment and the beginning of a new learning experience cannot be initiated or controlled, because they can neither be taught nor learned. Both are similar to the process of awakening: One is present, but one cannot cause the act, which is, however, not possible without oneself. The only thing one can do is to pay attention to the unexpected in what is familiar.
