When a person experiences the emotion from someone expressing gratitude for them, it is referred to as a state (Watkins et al., 2009). It is important to remember that gratitude is a strength that can be enhanced with awareness and practice. Through this process, we recognize the fortune of everything that improves our lives and ourselves.įurther, gratitude can be considered either a dispositional trait or a state of being.Īs a trait, an individual practices gratitude as part of their daily life (McCullough et al., 2002), and it is considered a character strength. The two stages of gratitude comprise the recognition of the goodness in our lives and then how this goodness came to us. At this stage, we recognize the goodness in our lives and who to thank for it. One can be grateful to our creator, other people, animals, and the world, but not to oneself. Second, gratitude is recognizing that sources of this goodness lie outside the self. The acknowledgment that we have received something gratifies us, both by its presence and by the effort the giver put into choosing it. We affirm that, all in all, life is good and has elements that make it worth living. In a state of gratitude, we say yes to life. Robert Emmons, the feeling of gratitude involves two stages (Emmons & McCullough, 2003):įirst comes the acknowledgment of goodness in one’s life. Better explained, one can experience gratitude for someone or something at a certain moment in time, and someone experience gratitude more long-term as a positive character trait.Īccording to Dr. Gratitude is both a state and a trait (Jans-Beken et al., 2020).
The American Psychological Association (n.d.) more specifically defines this phenomenon as a sense of happiness and thankfulness in response to a fortunate happenstance or tangible gift. Gratitude is an emotion similar to appreciation. What is Gratitude – Its Meaning & Definition Gratitude & Positive Psychology – What is the Connection?.What is Gratitude – Its Meaning & Definition.
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