Gratitude is an emotion we feel that when the brain releases dopamine and serotonin, it makes

you feel good. Gratitude can also be explained as an appreciation of something in a person’s
lives. Gratitude works when something happens to you, usually from an outside source, you
give it or them thanks for what it has done for you. Scientifically, this has proven to enhance our
mood and create a positive mindset that can cause a significant drop in blood pressure. Other
benefits of gratitude is lower stress levels and less anxiety. You also will have better
relationships as it makes it harder to take things for granted thus creating a stronger
relationship. From Karns article on Gratitude, we learn that there are many other benefits to
having gratitude, we also learn that gratitude has been found to be understood as an intrinsically
valuable moral emotion. What are intrinsic valuable moral emotions? They can be understood
as emotions that have worth and aren’t just “a means to an end.” Other emotions that are
intrinsically valuable moral emotions are love, joy and grief.

Another thing that Karns talks about is pure altruism that comes from gratitude. Pure Altruism is
defined as the selfless concern for others well being without expecting anything in return.
Examples of altruistic actions are volunteering and donations. So how does altruism correlate to
gratitude? Gratitude can act as a motivator for altruistic behavior, when we feel grateful for
something we could feel inclined to pass along a positive action to others as thanks for what we
received. Altruism can also be seen as a form of gratitude, For receiving a blessing in life, you
return by volunteering or donating to a charitable cause, thus showing gratitude via altruism.

There has also been research done on Thank You notes. From the article written by Heather
Murphy, they learned that people like to get Thank You notes, or a form of gratitude, but rarely
receive them. They found out that most people dismiss Thank You notes and that it isn’t a big
deal and the writer overestimates how the note might feel insincere and uncomfortable. Another
interesting fact that they found out is that receiving participants scored a 4 out of 5 in happiness
rating, while the senders typically scored a 3. While most senders were concerned about how
their writing would be judged, it turned out that most recipients didn’t care about how it was
written, but about the ‘warmth’ or feeling put into the note.

In conclusion, gratitude is when you feel thankful for something that has happened to you,
scientifically this is explained as a chemical reaction when your brain releases dopamine and
serotonin. Gratitude, when practiced, has many benefits, ranging from better mental health to
lowering blood pressure. I believe that having gratitude is important for everyone as there are
only upsides to it, and can lead to you being happier in life. Practicing gratitude can come in
many forms, whether it be a simple Thank You note, or an altruistic action, as long as you
express gratitude in any form, it is enough.(Word Count: 518)

Citations:
Karns, Christina M., et al. “The Cultivation of Pure Altruism via Gratitude: A Functional MRI
Study of Change with Gratitude Practice.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 11, 2017, pp.
599–599, [Link]
Murphy, H. (2018, July 20). The Science of Thank You Notes.

Nice, C. (2020). Universe in Verse.