Thankful people: 7 characteristics that distinguish them
The ability to be grateful is one of the reasons why human societies can exist. Because of this reciprocity, it is possible to establish bonds that unite people beyond the mere fact of giving well-being to the person receiving the gratitude.
¿How grateful people are and how we can recognize them on a day-to-day basis ? Let's see what are its main characteristics.
- Related article: "Psychology of gratitude: benefits of being grateful"
Characteristics of grateful people
These are the typical attributes that characterize those who are grateful to others spontaneously. Of course, they do not have to appear all at the same time in the same person, they only serve as general orientations.
1. They do not thank in a strategic way
It is clear that, if we think about it, any prosocial behavior can be seen as a strategy to obtain benefits in return. However, to practice when we do things that benefit others we do not usually stop to think about how that will benefit us.
This is another key that helps identify grateful people : they give thanks spontaneously, in an irrational way, without this being due to a calculation of costs and benefits.
2. Show appreciation to everyone
For grateful people, the fact of showing gratitude is another element of those that come into play frequently in personal relationships. Therefore, they do so regardless of the degree of friendship or the intensity of the bond that binds that person.
This is important especially in adulthood , a vital stage in which the number of friends with whom one has a close deal is relatively small and therefore most of the people with whom one interacts are relative strangers.
In the end, this characteristic is related to the previous one, since the cases in which gratitude is expressed towards people with whom one does not have much treatment, most likely, does not appear the opportunity for them to return the kind gesture.
3. They use creativity to show gratitude
Thankful people are grateful in all ways in which it is possible to give thanks; they are not limited to a single style category of "material gifts" or "thank you notes".
Any context, with any type of resource, it is possible to reveal what is valued and appreciate what someone has done for us , and putting a little imagination, the idea of what to do to express it appears easily.
- Maybe you're interested: "The psychology of creativity and creative thinking"
4. They adapt their message to the person to whom they direct it
Something to keep in mind when expressing gratitude is the knowledge one has about the tastes and personality of the person to whom the message is addressed. Ultimately, if you want to convey a sense of well-being, It makes sense to maximize this effect by adapting the way you are going to say thank you .
5. They do not always wait for celebrations
Why be constrained by the calendar when giving thanks? There are no reasons to stop being grateful people during the days that go from one celebration to the next. Beyond birthdays and Christmas, there are many other moments where you can give gifts or make dedications. The message has even more power precisely when any day comes.
6. They are fair in their personal relationships
The fact of being grateful people does not mean that you have a natural tendency towards candor or altruism, but it does mean that you tend to offer fair treatment to everyone. Beyond the image that is offered to others at the time of speaking or the ease to make friends and fall well to others, who is grateful integrates this fact into his way of seeing human relationships , and these are governed by the idea that justice is important.
7. They make sure that the other person understands the message
It does not help to give thanks if the person to whom this symbolic action is directed does not interpret this sign of gratitude as such. It is not a matter of gaining positive points in front of her, but the important thing is that she is aware that she has given someone reasons to give thanks, which says a lot in her favor.
Bibliographic references:
- Bremner, J. Gavin (2017). An Introduction to Developmental Psychology. John Wiley & Sons.
- Ortega, P., Minguez, R., and Gil, R. (1997). Cooperative learning and moral development. Spanish Journal of Pedagogy, 206, 33-51.
- Roberts, W., and Strayer, J. (1996). Empathy, emotional expressiveness, and prosocial behavior. Child Development, 67 (2), 449-470.
- Willis, Amy (November 8, 2011). "Most adults have 'only two close friends'".The Telegraph. London.
