Does thanksgiving make us complacent or lazy? Myths about gratitude

We’re not discussing the laziness everyone encounters after a large Thanksgiving meal. The questions we’re asking are: Does gratitude make us complacent or lazy? Can thankfulness be false humility or inappropriate? Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., University of California, Davis, is considered to be the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude. He addressed several myths and misconceptions that are common. Very few people would argue that gratitude is not a good trait to possess and practice. However, some subtle reservations creep into our thinking.

Is it true that a person who is grateful may not be as motivated to change negative things in the world or improve his life? Would a thankful person tend to accept injustices, rather than attempt to make positive changes? In fact, the opposite is true. Grateful people are actually more successful at reaching their goals and have a greater sense of purpose. In a study conducted by Dr. Emmons and his colleagues, participants who were randomly assigned to keep a gratitude journal exerted more effort toward reaching their goals than those who did not. In another study involving young teens published in Motivation and Emotion, those who were more grateful performed more pro-social activities and had a desire to give back to others.

A second myth addressed by Emmons is one many of us may have thought: gratitude ignores the negativity and pain in life. It seems Pollyannaish, seeing the world with rose-colored glasses of thankfulness, while people all over are suffering. This myth demonstrates a misunderstanding of gratitude. To be thankful, one must recognize a dependence on others, leading to some sense of indebtedness to others or feelings of responsibility to take care of that for which one has received. So, gratitude is not as much ignoring the negative, it is magnifying the positive.

A third myth relates to a phenomenon most of us have seen – the person who appears to be overly-humble, refusing to take credit for his or her own good work. It seems to be false humility. While this may be true of a few people, a study by Dr. Emmons demonstrated that, when people were given a difficult task and given a hint to assist, they acknowledged the benefit of the hint, while also taking credit for their own work. So, it is possible to do both.

Another myth is that it is not appropriate – or is even impossible – to be thankful in the midst of adversity or suffering. A study conducted by Emmons involving subjects with severe neuromuscular disorders were asked to keep a gratitude journal over a two-week period. Not only did these people who were experiencing significant pain find things for which to be thankful, they reported more positive emotions than those in a control group. Furthermore, they felt more optimistic, socially connected, and slept better.

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (Psalm 118:1)

Reference:
Robert Emmons, “Five Myths about Gratitude”, Greater Good, 21 Nov 2013,

Acts of random kindness and depression

“One act of random kindness at a time.” (Morgan Freeman to Steve Carell, Evan Almighty)

More than 16 million adults in the USA, approximately eight percent of the population, suffer from either major or chronic depression. The estimate is 100 million worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. For some, psychopharmacological treatment can be life-saving and the only way to get out of bed and make it through the day. For many others who are clinically depressed, as well as the millions who suffer from milder or more temporary symptoms, a drug-free, inexpensive, effective solution exists – practicing positive activities. This sounds overly-simplistic, but empirical data confirm the efficacy.

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside and Duke University Medical Center, as reported in ScienceDaily on July 28, 2011, studied randomized, controlled interventions with thousands of normal men and women as well as functional MRI scans in people with depressive symptoms. They found that Positive Activity Interventions (PAI) therapy is effective and useful, with the following advantages:
• Benefits those who do not respond to antidepressant medications
• No side effects
• Less expensive to administer
• More rapid improvement of mood symptoms
• Little or no stigma

According to researchers, beneficial positive activities include: performing acts of kindness, practicing optimism, and counting one’s blessings. Two studies specifically tested intentional PAIs in mildly depressed patients and, in one of these, lasting improvements continued to be noticed six months later. The researchers noted that even brief positive activities, which are easy to perform and often inexpensive, can have these lasting effects. Furthermore, short-term PAIs often lead to additional, similar actions, thus compounding the benefits. For example, counting one’s blessings may encourage someone to write a thank you note. Helping someone in need may lead to increased positive social interaction with others, further reducing depression.

Brain imaging studies seem to confirm the studies’ results, leading researchers to theorize that PAIs may boost the brain’s reward and pleasure centers, which have been dampened, thus reversing apathy. This would be a key benefit not usually realized with medication alone. Kristin Layous, the paper’s lead author, remarked “The positive activities themselves aren't really new. After all, humans have been counting their blessings, dreaming optimistically, writing thank you notes, and doing acts of kindness for thousands of years. What's new is the scientific rigor that researchers have applied to measuring benefits and understanding why they work."

“A joyful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22)
“Be kind to one another” (Ephesians 4:32)
“Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24)

[1] University of California - Riverside. "Restoring happiness in people with depression." ScienceDaily, 28 Jul. 2011. Web. 31 Jul. 2011.