Sociologist Georg Simmel, calls Gratitude the “ moral memory of mankind”. But researchers tell us that gratitude is more than a moral or ethical acknowledgement of help of some kind. They believe that humans are biologically wired to thrive with gratefulness and to wither without it.
Robert Emmons, PhD, Professor of Psychology at UC Davis, has written several books and runs a laboratory for the study of gratitude. He writes ,” Scientists are latecomers to the concept of gratitude. Religions and philosophies have long embraced gratitude as an indispensable manifestation of virtue, and an integral component of health, wholeness, and well-being.”
A laboratory to study gratitude ? yes- Here is a sample of a research result:
• In a sample of adults with neuromuscular disease, a 21-day gratitude intervention resulted in greater amounts of high energy positive moods, a greater sense of feeling connected to others, more optimistic ratings of one’s life, and better sleep duration and sleep quality, relative to a control group.
But are we not by personality or luck grateful or ungrateful ? What is a gratitude “intervention” ?
A short trip on any booksellers list will give you more than a dozen books on the subject. What they tell us is this: gratitude is an attitude.
We can in all circumstances give thanks- and that doing so is good for us, and changes us for the better. And in a complex circle of life, being grateful, in itself brings blessings.
But what if you have a rare disease? What if your child is struggling with one ? Is gratitude still possible? Please send us your stories of gratitude: We will publish as many as possible for the next 20 days. Let us know the who, the how, and the what, of the gratitude of your hearts: [email protected]
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