Gratitude : Is It a Private Gladness or a Duty Owed to God, Others, the World?
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"Gratitude is an excellent practice; it is the opposite of arrogance and resentment. I think it's a great thing to become an expert at, and I think you can allow yourself happiness if you are grateful."
[Jordan Peterson]
“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears, but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.”
(Seneca)
“In an expression of true gratitude, sadness is conspicuous only by its absence.”
(Marcus Aurelius)
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Greetings,
What a beautiful day today. We are truly given another opportunity to be happy and grateful.
Happiness and gratitude are closely related concepts, often following one after another. But Brother David Steindl-Rast would say the difference lies in that when you are grateful, you are happy, but when you are happy, you are not necessarily also grateful.
Famous YouTuber and psychologist Jordan Peterson also said in one of his videos, "Gratitude is an excellent practice; it is the opposite of arrogance and resentment. I think it's a great thing to become an expert at, and I think you can allow yourself happiness if you are grateful."
It is certainly the most effective way to arm ourselves against resentment and arrogance, the two most detrimental characteristics, according to Nietzsche (resentment) and the Vatican Church (Arrogance).
Therefore, it suffices to say that Gratitude is an absolute precondition for happiness.
But we may ask, can we always be grateful? Can we have gratitude for everything? Br. David would say, even though we cannot be grateful for everything, such as violence, bereavement, and injustice, that there is an eternal gratitude that never ceases to be, as we can always be grateful for the opportunity, the prior condition in which any human experience can be possible.
Gratitude is a soothing mantra, and it probably helps every individual to slow down and to be not only content with what they already have, but also thankful for it. It is a truly beautiful mantra.
But then, like in the silence of a peaceful night, Dawn breaks out, turning the sky crimson.
In our hearts, an unstoppable voice is heard,
"Philosophia Prennis!"
With it, many questions arise like a phoenix rising from its own ashes.
Join me for a small discussion on Happiness and Gratitude. I look forward to hearing your views and opinions.
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❓ Questions :
(I) Regarding gratitude, Is The Christian concept of gratitude necessarily different from the Buddhist or Stoic approach? Since religious views on it involve giving thanks and due respect to God, who is seen as the giver of life and blessings. So, gratitude is to return the owed thanks to the creator? By working hard to reach excellence in returning the belated due thanks?
(II) When we say I’m grateful for something, such as let’s say being given today, and all that is possible within today, then to whom are we expressing our gratitude? If it is not specified as an individual or entity, does that mean gratitude doesn’t necessarily require returning thanks to someone? Is it simply a personal private appreciation of the things involved with me and my lot? Then, is it a private power within?
(III) Or the idea of gratitude is not solipsistic, but on the contrary, it is centred around returning due thanks, that we owe to society, the family, the world and so on. So being grateful requires action of returning what we owe.
(IV) When Suji was broke and had no money, it was Peter who bought Suji a McDonald's meal when she was hungry. But then Suji thanks Génie for the meal; in this case, is Suji ungrateful? Even though she is grateful for this free McDonald's? She feels happy and grateful about it, for Génie, and not for Peter.
(V) In another real-life example, there was an undertaker in the Mexican village, due to continuous on going gang violence, his work was in high demand. To whom should he be grateful for the surge in his net income due to the continuous homicide casualties?
- the cartel
- Parents,
- God
- No need, express gladness and not necessarily owing gratitude to anyone.
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(ChatGPT's explanation)
(Q) If I were an undertaker and due to an increase in homicide casualties in the town, the net income of my job has grown double, to whom should I be grateful?
(A) That’s a darkly ironic situation—and it doesn’t really point to anyone you’d want to feel grateful toward.
If your income doubled because of a rise in homicides, the underlying cause is harm: violence, loss, and community breakdown. So rather than gratitude, the more grounded perspective is that your gain is tied to something tragic. Most people in that position would feel conflicted—financial benefit on one hand, but recognition that it comes from others’ suffering.
If you were to frame it constructively, you might direct appreciation toward:
- The trust families place in you to handle their loved ones with dignity
- Your own ability to provide a respectful, needed service in difficult times
But not toward the violence itself or those causing it.
It’s one of those scenarios where the “right” emotional response isn’t gratitude—it’s professionalism, empathy, and maybe even a wish that business would slow down for better reasons.
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**** [Optional Watch & Read List]
[Ted Talk]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4Ics03xzUQ
[Andrew Huberman]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1BuMRFJ88