Word: gratitude

Associations

Gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for something good someone has done for you. It helps express your feelings when someone has made a positive impact on your life.

• Example 1: "I felt a deep gratitude for my friends who supported me during tough times." (This shows appreciation for the support given.)
• Example 2: "She expressed her gratitude by writing a heartfelt thank-you note." (This shows how one can show appreciation.)
• Example 3: "Practicing gratitude daily can improve your mental health." (This highlights gratitude's positive effects.)

Gratitude is often seen as synonymous with appreciation. However, gratitude focuses more on the feeling of thankfulness towards someone for a specific act, while appreciation can be broader, referring to recognizing the value of someone or something.

Substitution

Other words or phrases that can replace 'gratitude' include:

• Thankfulness: This is similar but can imply a more immediate feeling.
• Appreciation: This can refer more generally to valuing something, not just feelings towards acts.
• Recognition: This emphasizes acknowledging someone's effort or kindness but may lack the emotional depth of gratitude.

Deconstruction

The root of the word "gratitude" comes from the Latin word "gratus," which means "pleasing" or "thankful." The suffix "-tude" is used to form nouns expressing a state or condition. So, "gratitude" means the state of being thankful or pleased.

Understanding gratitude is important for personal relationships and social interactions, as it helps create bonds of kindness and respect.

Inquiry

• Can you recall a time when someone did something nice for you? How did it make you feel?
• In what situations do you think it is important to express gratitude?
• How do you show gratitude to people in your life? Can you think of different ways to express it?