Gratitude Without God [View all]

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http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/11/the-phenomenology-of-gratitude/383174/

If giving thanks isn't inherently religious, where does it come from?

EMMA GREEN
NOV 26 2014, 12:00 PM ET


Marzolino/Shutterstock/TheAtlantic

The thing about people who study gratitude for a living is: They're really nice. They're also prolific thankers.

"Grateful for your calling attention to this important virtue without which we would not be fully human!!!!!" wrote one professor in the closing of an email exchange.

The social science on gratitude is pretty resolute: Feeling thankful is good for you. "There’s something called a grateful personality that some psychologists have studied," said Jo-Ann Tsang, a psychologist at Baylor University. "They find that if you’re greater in the grateful personality, you tend to have increased life satisfaction, happiness, optimism, hope, positive emotion, and ... less anxiety and depression."

Other studies suggest that diaries, daily reminders, and intentional reflection on what you're thankful for can boost happiness, positive emotions, and a sense of meaning in life, Tsang said. Physical benefits may include fewer symptoms of illness and better sleep. These activities "can even help people with moderate body-image issues, and also people with moderate anxiety issues," she added.

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