Evidence

Gratitude can strengthen social bonds and increase prosocial behavior across cultures. This need may motivate noticing value, naming what worked, and reciprocating care. Practiced appreciation maintains trust and energizes ongoing collaboration.

Details about the rewritten claim

Expressing and receiving gratitude is a powerful social glue – research shows that feeling appreciated or thanking others strengthens relationships and encourages people to act kindly in return (these effects are observed in many cultures). The need for appreciation may lead us to notice what is valuable in others’ actions, explicitly acknowledge what went well, and respond to kindness with kindness. By regularly practicing gratitude and appreciation, groups build greater mutual trust and goodwill. In other words, showing appreciation not only affirms the recipient but also energizes ongoing cooperation, as people who feel valued are more likely to continue contributing positively.

Supporting sources

[1][2][3][4][5]
Citations
  1. 1
    Cross-cultural: gratitude relates to prosocial behavior and relationship benefitshttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7265817/
  2. 2
    Meta-analysis: gratitude → prosocial behaviorhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28406659/
  3. 3
    Theory: gratitude strengthens relationships (Find–Remind–Bind)https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2012.00439.x
  4. 4
    Experiment: gratitude increases costly helpinghttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16623689/
  5. 5
    cross-cultural research showing gratitude practices strengthen trust and social connectionhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8600914/

Strategies

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View previous things you've written or made

To no one's surprise I often understand myself better than anyone else. Sometimes in a crisis I'll read something I wrote a month ago and think "yes that's exactly it!" - like past me is giving empathy to future me.

Nat • Missouri

View art that you connect to

Whether it’s in your house, online, or at an exhibit sometimes you find a piece of art that moves you - like it understands you on a profound level.

Nat • Missouri

Specific thank-you

Send a short note naming one action someone did and how it supported you.

Five gratitudes by need

List five gratitudes and tag each with the need it tended.

Ambient Postcard

On your phone, record a 10-15-second clip of your current space (audio or short video) and save it with a single line about your "right now"; optionally send it to one person.

Window Quarter

Use the window frame to pick one small quadrant of the view and give it a one-line title you like; hold that title for a moment.

Scent Caption

Open a spice, soap, or leaf, take one brief sniff, and write a one-word caption for the scent before closing it.

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