Harvey S. Hecker Character Development Series: Our words are a powerful force to build – and destroy.
#4 Gratitude
Originally published by Rabbi Shraga Simmons on aish.com
“You don’t appreciate everything I do for you!”
Lack of gratitude. We’ve all heard this complaint from a parent, spouse, or co-worker. What’s at the root of this problem, and how can we correct it? Why do we so often resist acknowledging the debt of gratitude?
We have a fierce desire for independence. Acknowledging a gift makes us feel indebted – i.e. dependent. So we prefer to “deny” the good that’s been done.
This comes at a costly price. While the act of giving forges a two-way connection, failure to acknowledge a gift breaks that connection. This can leave our emotional ecosystem strained and imbalanced, breeding resentment and unhealthy powerplays.