{"id":3401,"date":"2022-11-19T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-19T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/?p=3401"},"modified":"2023-03-30T18:41:56","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T23:41:56","slug":"learning-gratitude-a-pathway-to-a-good-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2022\/11\/19\/learning-gratitude-a-pathway-to-a-good-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning Gratitude: A Pathway to a Good Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Among the greatest characters created by Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings<\/em> is the noble prince Faramir. He is the younger brother of the fallen Boromir and is characterized by wisdom and judgment. When we first meet Faramir in the forests of Ithilien, he chances upon the hobbits Frodo and Sam who have already journeyed far on their quest to destroy the One Ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The character of Faramir is demonstrated in his resistance to the temptation of the ring. The downfall of Boromir had been his desire to possess the One Ring. Having brought the hobbits to the secret hideout overlooking the Anduin River, Faramir is confronted with the knowledge that Frodo carries Sauron\u2019s greatest weapon. \u201cNot if I found it on the highway would I take it\u201d (J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings<\/em>, Ballantine: 1965, 342). It was not as though Faramar hadn\u2019t felt the power of temptation upon seeing the ring, it was his wise perception of the great peril for one wielding it, but also the care for Frodo, the ring bearer, that sustained him through his temptation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As great as this moment is in the story of Faramir, the episode I find most fascinating is when Faramir invites the hobbits to a meal. Even in the rustic hideaway, it is a moment of great decorum. A table was set with a simple meal by the soldiers under Faramir\u2019s command. The hobbits were invited to wash before supper and then to sit at the makeshift table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBefore they ate, Faramir and all his men turned and faced west in a moment of silence. Faramir signed to Frodo and Sam that they should do likewise. \u2018So we always do,\u2019 he said, as they sat down: \u2018we look towards N\u00famenor that was, and beyond to Elvenhome that is, and to that which is beyond Elvenhome and will ever be. Have you no such custom at meat?\u2019<\/p>\nJ.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings<\/em> (Ballantine: 1965), 336<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We hear in this moment an echo of Tolkien\u2019s faith. Compare the Gondorian table grace to the Gloria patri <\/em>prayer: \u201cGlory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.\u201d (Note: Another hint at this harkening back to an older Christian piety is that they turned and faced west toward the place of their devotion. Churches were oriented east toward the sunrise which symbolized the resurrection. This practice fell away after the Middle Ages.) In the midst of quest and battle, this moment of quiet makes for a poignant reminder of our connection to something higher and more profound than ourselves. The scene goes on as Frodo answers Faramir\u2019s question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201c\u2018No,\u2019 said Frodo, feeling strangely rustic and untutored. \u2018But if we are guests, we bow to our host, and after we have eaten we rise and thank him.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\nJ.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings<\/em> (Ballantine: 1965), 336<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Even though the hobbits have a far simpler culture than the civilized Gondorians, they still have traditions centered around the table. In particular, Frodo notes how gratitude is the final component when dining with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This little scene reminds me of a type of Thanksgiving meal. The scant resources of the Gondorian army feeds the wandering hobbits whose supplies are running low. Two cultures meet one another and exchange traditions and lore. In America we connect our annual Thanksgiving holiday to the Pilgrims feasting with the Native Americans. I could imagine hobbits of the shire celebrating Frodo and Sam\u2019s meal with Faramir. The common thread amongst these celebrations is the idea of thanksgiving or gratitude. In days of old, the harvest feast served a similar purpose, gratitude to the Maker for that year\u2019s yield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Definition of Gratitude<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The word \u201cgratitude\u201d comes from the Latin gratus<\/em>, an adjective meaning \u201cacceptable, agreeable, pleasing, welcome.\u201d From this word we derive other English words such as \u201cgrateful\u201d and \u201ccongratulations.\u201d We tend to prefer the words \u201cthankfulness\u201d or \u201cthanks\u201d \u2013 words having Old English roots \u2013 instead of gratitude, the Latinate alternative. At heart, gratitude or thankfulness is a natural affection. Edwards compares gratitude to anger finding that both natural affections can arise with or without passions associated with them. Just as I may be angered by someone I hate, I can also be angered by someone I don\u2019t hate or even love. Similarly, I can feel gratitude towards someone I love or it may arise \u201cwithout any true or proper love\u201d (Jonathan Edwards, Religious Affections<\/em><\/a>, 170-171). We shall come back to Edwards in a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In modern psychology, gratitude has been analyzed for its relevance to subjective well-being. The Gratitude Questionnaire-Six-Item Form<\/a> (GQ6) is a tool that analyzes how prone an individual is to experience gratitude in daily life. It is a rather short form that can be helpful in differentiating individual frequency and intensity of gratitude. The Gratitude Resentment and Appreciation Scale (GRAT) \u2013 Short Form<\/a> is a questionnaire comprised of 16 statements that are scaled by respondents \u201cto measure an individual’s dispositional gratitude.\u201d A very brief scale by comparison is The Gratitude Adjective Checklist (GAC)<\/a> that measures an individual\u2019s disposition by way of three adjectives: grateful, thankful, and appreciative. Social scientists have used these and other scales to measure dispositional gratitude, connecting increased gratitude to increased well-being. As we consider gratitude or thankfulness as an attribute worthy of cultivation in this article, measures such as these can be an asset that enables us to track our sense of gratitude over time. (The links above are to PDFs of the actual forms and can be accessed free of charge.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From these considerations, we can define gratitude as a human affection or feeling that expresses appreciation. A person can have a greater or lesser disposition to express gratitude. And in addition, one can grow in one’s capacity to express gratitude. Finally, an increase in one’s disposition to express gratitude can positively impact one’s overall feeling of well-being or happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Theology of Gratitude<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Having mentioned Jonathan Edwards above, it behooves us to further develop our understanding of gratitude in theological terms. We noted that gratitude is a natural affection, which leads him to claim that \u201cit renders ingratitude so much the more vile and heinous\u201d (171). There is something Aristotelian about his reasoning at this point. Gratitude is a virtue fitting to our nature and yet requiring cultivation, but it is all too easy to fall into the vice of ingratitude where the lack of gratitude is an offence against our humanity. Edwards reasons further, \u201cThe exercise of mere natural gratitude may be the foundation of a sort of love to God\u201d (172), and yet without a true knowledge of God, the exercise of this virtue lacks any saving grace. The conclusion Edwards arrives at differentiates true gratitude from natural gratitude:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cTrue gratitude or thankfulness to God for his kindness to us, arises from a foundation laid before, of love to God for what he is in himself, whereas a natural gratitude has no such antecedent foundation.\u201d<\/p>\nJonathan Edwards, Religious Affections<\/em> (Renaissance Classics, 2012), 175<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The echo of 1 John 4:19 is made more explicit later in Edward\u2019s argument. The origin of our true gratitude is not some mere natural gratitude that springs from some self-interest, but upon an understanding of our desperate reliance on God who supplies our need. This speaks in some ways of our utter inability to be truly grateful apart from a knowledge of our depravity and reliance upon the grace of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBut as to truly gracious affections, they are built elsewhere; they have their foundation out of self in God and Jesus Christ; and therefore a discovery of themselves, of their own deformity, and the meanness of their experiences, though it will purify their affections, yet it will not destroy them, but in some respects sweeten and heighten them.\u201d<\/p>\nJonathan Edwards, Religious Affections<\/em> (Renaissance Classics, 2012), 181<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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So our natural gratitude become purified by Christ, but not destroyed. We might feel something of gratitude apart from Christ, but in Christ, that natural feeling becomes magnified as we recognize how far the love of God has reached to meet me in my depth from his heights. Every simple gift \u2013 the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the warmth of shelter \u2013 is magnified by the immeasurable gift of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the message we have received in any number of passages of scripture. Consider as one example Hebrews 12:28, \u201cTherefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.\u201d The better part of our prayers should be issuing words of thanksgiving to our creator and sustainer; far more than our requests, as important as these are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Philosophy of Gratitude<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Such a theology resonates with what the philosophical tradition considers as the foundation of happiness. Here I am thinking in particular of eudaimonic<\/em> happiness as expressed in the writings of Aristotle. The pathway to happiness in life is the cultivation of virtue. Even though Aristotle did not list gratitude among the virtues, there are ample reasons to consider it as such. Cicero, for instance, considered gratitude as \u201cthe mother of all virtues (mater virtutum omnium<\/em>)\u201d (For Plancius<\/em> 33.80). We can even identify gratitude as a virtuous mean between vices of absence and excess in an Aristotelian manner. Edwards, for instance, spelled out how ingratitude is an assault on our humanity. This vice of absence is equally as bad as the obsequious groveler who ingratiate themselves to others but whose heart is far from truly thankful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ancient philosophy agrees with modern science that subjective well-being can be increased by cultivating gratitude. If we are not already convinced by the testimony of scripture, we can see by every measure how important gratitude is if we want to live lives of meaning and purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am struck by Jordan Peterson<\/a>‘s latest book, Beyond Order<\/em><\/a>: 12 More Rules for LIfe<\/em>, which adds twelve more rules to his previous 12 Rules for Life<\/em><\/a>: An Antidote to Chaos<\/em>. The last of the rules is expressed as “Be grateful in spite of your suffering.” For Peterson to conclude his most recent book with the concept of gratitude strikes at the continuing relevance of gratitude. Earlier this year when tweeting some 40 rules<\/a>, Peterson included this rule and added, “Gratitude is the process of consciously and courageously attempting thankfulness in the face of the catastrophe of life.” This expression gets at an intentional practice of gratitude, not when one feels great about life, but actually developing such a practice when life is not particularly going so well. What this means is that there is no better time to develop a habit of gratitude like the present moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Practice of Gratitude<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To that end, I want to provide a few practical tools you may want to incorporate into your daily classroom routines. The empirical scales provided above offer some potential for older students to gain some understanding of their own disposition toward gratitude. Yet all ages can benefit from growing in the habit of gratitude. So, here are a few suggestions for you to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The first practical tool for you to consider is a gratitude journal. Now you can devote an entire journal or notebook to this, or you can simply use a homework steno for this. The idea here is to record on a daily basis something each student is grateful for. This can be a basic sentence, such as \u201cI am grateful for the warm weather outside,\u201d or, \u201cI am grateful that we got to go on a field trip today.\u201d These expressions lay a solid foundation for expressing gratitude in concrete ways. Building on this, you can ask for more and more specificity. What made the warm weather something you were grateful for, or why was the field trip such a gratifying experience? Yet, even the simplest expressions of gratitude can have a deep impact on your students\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second practical tool is having students write a gratitude letter. Okay, this is a thank you note, but by framing it as a gratitude letter, you are able to break the mold, so to speak, of people\u2019s preconceptions about thank you cards. Have students think about someone they would like to express their gratitude to. The act of expressing gratitude to another person is so powerful in their lives. You can incorporate this into a unit of letter writing by teaching your students how to include such things as the format of a letter, the greeting and closing, and how to address an envelope. In a gratitude letter, students should learn how to give specific details about what it is they are grateful for (a gift, an event, the meaning of the relationship, etc.) and the impact it has had on their life. They can also learn different phrases that express gratitude. Sending these letters to the recipients can be a powerful moment in both the students\u2019 and recipients’ lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Check out the latest from Educational Renaissance Publishing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Egan","author_link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/author\/admin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Among the greatest characters created by Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings is the noble prince Faramir. He is the younger brother of the fallen Boromir and is characterized by wisdom and judgment. When we first meet Faramir in the forests of Ithilien, he chances upon the hobbits Frodo and Sam who have already…","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa7K1D-SR","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":705,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2019\/12\/07\/the-search-for-happiness-part-2-the-way-of-wisdom\/","url_meta":{"origin":3401,"position":0},"title":"The Search for Happiness, Part 2: The Way of Wisdom","author":"Kolby Atchison","date":"December 7, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"In my previous blog, I examined how modern research, particularly through the avenue of positive psychology, confirms some of Aristotle\u2019s insights about human beings and the well-lived life. 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Having begun in 1163, it was not completed until 1345. The site of its construction rests upon\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "History of Education"","block_context":{"text":"History of Education","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/history-of-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-3.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-3.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-3.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-3.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-3.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1185,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2020\/05\/01\/the-problem-of-technicism-in-conventional-education\/","url_meta":{"origin":3401,"position":3},"title":"The Problem of Technicism in Conventional Education","author":"Jason Barney","date":"May 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Technicism is not simply an over-fascination with technology as a means of stimulating learning out of students, though that problem plagues conventional education as well. Instead, I use the term \u2018technicism\u2019 to refer to a broader ideological approach to education that has become captivated by quantitative measurements and the economic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Educational Leadership"","block_context":{"text":"Educational Leadership","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/educational-leadership\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"old iron levers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Canva-Old-Iron-Levers-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C708&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Canva-Old-Iron-Levers-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C708&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Canva-Old-Iron-Levers-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C708&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Canva-Old-Iron-Levers-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C708&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Canva-Old-Iron-Levers-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C708&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3773,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2023\/05\/20\/why-classical-education-needs-a-theology-of-wisdom-a-foundation-for-wise-integration-in-the-modern-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":3401,"position":4},"title":"Why Classical Education Needs a Theology of Wisdom: A Foundation for Wise Integration in the Modern World","author":"Jason Barney","date":"May 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The modern world of education is characterized by the opposites of integration: isolation and reductionism. 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