Understanding the Dual Nature of Gratitude
The Timeless Principle of Gratitude
This is one in a series of essays that was originally conceived as a book for print publication. If you enjoy it and would like to read more from the collection, you can find a sort of Table of Contents here.
Have you ever noticed how over-used and under-appreciated the words “thank you” have become?
I worked in a customer service call center where hundreds of people were trained to be polite and friendly 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for years on end. As a result, I’ve noticed “thank you” has replaced “you’re welcome”. That’s weird.
“I just got the fax you sent. Thanks very much!”
“Not a problem, thank you!”
Huh?
The question I want to ponder is: What happens when “thank you” completely loses its meaning?
What happens to our society, to our humanity, when we forget how to be truly and honestly grateful?
Every November, the United States celebrates Thanksgiving. Personally, I don’t bother celebrating for a number of very valid reasons. But one of them has a direct bearing on the question of gratitude in general:
