It's been said that gratitude is the most fragrant of the virtues and ingratitude one of the ugliest of character defects.
Those who are grateful for what others have done for them have about them a certain sweetness and loveliness not exuded by any other personality trait while those who take all their blessings for granted, or think of them as things to which they're entitled, or who are otherwise ungrateful for what others have done for them, project a self-centeredness or ignorance that's thoroughly unpleasant to be around.
Here are a few quotes for your Thanksgiving week contemplation that reinforce the point:
- “Entitlement is such a cancer because it is void of gratitude.” — Adam Smith
- “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” — Cicero
- "It's not happiness that brings us gratitude, it's gratitude that brings us happiness." - Anonymous
- “Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.” — Randy Rausch
- “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” — William Arthur Ward
- “Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” — Aesop
- “The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” — Mary Davis
- “When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity.” — Elie Wiesel
- “Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you'll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you'll find that you have more of it.” — Ralph Marston
- “In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer