Photo: IMAGO/Elena Helade/IMAGO/Westend61
Photo: IMAGO/Elena Helade/IMAGO/Westend61

Ideas

The Right Attitude to Gratitude

Being thankful is the ultimate win-win: If the person being thanked feels happy, the person doing the thanking feels happier still.

First published in The Atlantic on November 27, 2025.

by Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic
December 4, 2025 | reading time: 6 Min.

Have you ever reflected on what an ungrateful wretch you are? Instead of being thankful that a delicious beverage awaits at your favorite coffee shop, you fume because the person ahead in line ordered a caramel macchiato frappe oatmeal horchata with a splash of macadamia milk, and is now paying for it in nickels.

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