Why is being grateful the key to everything?

skrimon · May 22, 2022

Happiness can seem illusive sometimes, especially during hard times. But there’s a surprisingly accessible pathway to contentment, joy and positivity: gratitude. Studies demonstrate gratitude is associated with all kinds of goodies like life satisfaction, health, well-being and happiness.

It’s logical there should be so much data on happiness. After all, almost every society across the globe values it as a fundamental part of the human experience and in the U.S., we even identify happiness in our constitution as an inalienable right.

Scientists have also investigated gratitude because of the strong connections to mental health and physical wellbeing.

But the real magic is that the two are also positively related to each other. Both gratitude and happiness also have genetic components. Your choices matter, and interestingly, they may also be in your DNA.

#1 Relationships

Studies at the University of Montana found when people expressed more gratitude they tended to also report greater levels of happiness. This was significantly based on the way gratitude affected human relationships.

People tend to feel more positively about themselves and others when they express gratitude and hear expressions of gratitude. This has to do with the positive social meanings we ascribe to gratitude.

#2 Experiences And Materialism

Gratitude and happiness are also related in terms of how we spend our time and money. Researchers at Cornell University looked at 1,200 examples of online feedback and found when people completed positive reviews about experiences, they were more likely to express happiness—more so than when they completed reviews about purchases.

#3 Giving Back And Giving Voice

Interestingly the Cornell University study also found when people considered their positive experiences, they were more likely to be inspired to take future altruistic actions—contributing to others’ happiness. Gratitude inspires happiness, but it also inspires the intention to contribute to happiness in the community.

#4 A Genetic Component

Perhaps most interesting is the recent research proving a genetic component of both gratitude and happiness. Author Jonathan Haidt reports that happiness is partially the result of a genetic predisposition—in addition to situations and choices.

New research from the University of Arkansas also finds a marker for gratitude, and when people have the “gratitude gene”, they report being more grateful for their marriage partner.

Thanks!