The Promise of Gratitude
In order to better understand the dynamic role of gratitude in human functioning, theories of subjective wellbeing, eudaimonic happiness, and psychological wellbeing are contrasted. The measures used to quantify these constructs are presented with the goa
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The Promise of Gratitude
I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness. It’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude. Brené Brown
The story of gratitude has taken a long journey from its beginnings in human reciprocal and altruistic exchange. It has wandered through the many strategies of human cooperation, and found a comfortable home in the intimate dance of close relationships. Gratitude accompanied the human psyche as it catapulted into experiences of self-transcendence and opened new doors of experience and understanding. Historically, gratitude has been understood to be integral to human success and religious and spiritual fulfillment. The spectrum of gratitude experience bursts into every crevice of the human personality like a flower, touching the intrapersonal relationships between various dimensions of the self, and in the close caring relationships that bring meaning and fulfillment to life. Gratitude has a key role to play in the intricacies of human motivation, struggle, and feelings of fulfillment. This is the promise of gratitude, a promise that continues to pay dividends in the transactions of human ecology and psychology. Lin refers to gratitude as “the quintessential positive personality trait, being an indicator of a worldview orientated towards noticing and appreciating the positive in life”.1 This statement, while simple, is profound in its implications. And indeed in a fundamental way, gratitude can be seen as the rudder of a ship that continually attempts to © The Author(s) 2016 J. Elfers, P. Hlava, The Spectrum of Gratitude Experience, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-41030-2_9
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steer the attention toward identifying what is of value and what is positive, beneficial, and beautiful in the world. In this chapter, gratitude is explored through the lens of personal happiness and fulfillment. Some of the research on gratitude in caring relationships has already been described. Here the focus turns to a large body of research documenting some of the ways that gratitude operates within the personality and influences the development and perception of life satisfaction. As the body of gratitude research grows, it becomes increasingly challenging to summarize the findings and draw any comprehensive conclusions. Because the majority of research on gratitude is consistently promising, it is tempting to overstate the value and power of gratitude. While avoiding that temptation, it is also important not to understate the role that gratitude can play in personal transformation.
HEDONIC HAPPINESS AND SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING In the Declaration of Independence, one of the most significant founding documents of the USA, there is a clear statement that identifies a human right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson, primary author of the document, had a gift for penning phrases that were moving and inspiring but that lacked the clarity of precise definitions. That was his gift. Doing so allowed the nature and underst
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