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The theme of gratitude has been pertinent in human society throughout the ages, in all nations. From ancient times philosophers, religious figures, and creative individuals – thinkers, poets, artists, writers, and teachers – have raised the topic of the importance of showing gratitude. Gratitude has varieties, subtleties, and situational nuances. Let us also consider how, when, whom, and for what we give thanks.
Gratitude as an element of ethics
It is believed that the more rules of good manners and generally accepted cultural behavior, the more civilized society. This led to the automatic pronunciation of the words “thank you,” “thank you,” “I thank you,” etc. without meaningful expression, but to maintain a good bond between people. And rightly so. But so far does not develop us in any way, only turns into an automatic pronunciation of polite words almost at the level of animal instinct.
However, this does not mean that in peoples who do not have a developed infrastructure, in “backward” and developing countries, which have preserved their ancient culture and traditions – that people there do not know how to express gratitude. Everyone has their own language of mutual communication, which necessarily includes gratitude.
Gratitude as sarcasm
There are times in life when words of gratitude are uttered, oddly enough, to express displeasure, to throw them ironically and defiantly in a person’s face, showing that he has harmed rather than helped. For example: “Well, thank you! You’ve done me a favor…” (meaning: now I have to clean it all up! I wish I hadn’t addressed you…). Does this situation sound familiar? This often happens during family quarrels or, for example, clarification of relations at work. This, too, has its own accurate, even scientific explanation and reason.
Bribe as gratitude
Sometimes it’s hard for a person to express gratitude in words, to bow down before someone who has helped. Such people, to assuage their conscience, it is easier to give something material, most often a universal gift – money. As a rule, these cases are in the category of those that go beyond the law: when the request is to violate the general order, rules and regulations in order to get what one wants. What is the point of this, we will consider next.
Gratitude as manipulation
Gratitude is also used as an advance for what one person is going to use another to fulfill a need. Such are compliments, deliberate expressions of admiration and gratitude. These words “put pressure” on the person, because the one to whom such expressions are addressed and accepts them, wants to assert himself in society, so he goes along, responds to this advance. Usually such a technique is used for selfish purposes, for personal gain. Moreover, it is now taught en masse at all kinds of training courses and courses. This distinguishes the strong manipulator from the submissive slave. And this is also inherent in our nature.
Gratitude as recognition
Of course, gratitude is also expressed intentionally, consciously, in order to elevate the person, to show his importance, exclusivity, for his work, intelligence, cordiality, the best human qualities. However, there is a point here…. Note that we literally have it in us to give thanks only for what we like, enjoy, bring pleasure or some kind of profit. To be thankful that we are loved and respected.
Gratitude for Hate and Harm
But there is another kind of gratitude that very few people know how to express. It is a conscious gratitude for showing one’s ugly traits, showing disagreement, pride, contempt, enmity, cowardice, resentment, etc. It makes perfect sense. Strong, developed, world-conscious individuals are capable of such reactions. They know how to recognize mutual benefit in all situations. For example, Napoleon Hill, author of the acclaimed and popular book Think and Get Rich, which helped lift the U.S. economy during the Great Depression, said: “Every trouble, every failure and every suffering carries within it a grain of equal or greater benefit.
What is gratitude?
If we reason through the prism of the laws of nature, then gratitude is nothing but a force of nature. The same force as the force of current, gravity, force of attraction, and other forces we learned in physics class. Nature challenges man to use this power with reason and feeling, with the intention of improving our world, bringing it into harmony and order. This power is so enormous and powerful that it can restore all broken bonds, broken relationships, heal the body, excite the creativity of man, direct him to realize his role in life, and raise a whole generation of intelligent people.
And this does not mean that you can express gratitude “left and right,” without understanding, without thinking at all. Namely, passing the power through your heart, making calculations in your mind, directing the power of gratitude with words, with the power of good thought to affect people, using the situation with one person to express gratitude to the whole world, all people on Earth. Only then does it have a creative effect, acting as a force. And ill-considered, hasty words will remain dry, ineffective, on “disposable” use, they are directed for their own benefit and well-being, as they say – to “negotiate with the conscience”.
A sense of gratitude is inherent in our nature. But in the material world we manifest it distortedly, as in a looking-glass. All of the above expressions of gratitude are examples of the fact that everyone has a need for gratitude and has an obligation to express it. And it is expressed in different ways, depending on the degree of development and awareness of the person.
That’s why it’s important for us to always be in gratitude-before, after pleasure, in moments of fear, in problems, with enemies, and with friends. But it must be directed thoughtfully, with the intention to improve the world, to cause positive energy and have a favorable effect on everything around. Then nature responds, which also carries the very positive energy and will reward a person with further development and growth in life.
