IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ecaffa/v42y2022i1p135-143.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Gratefulness, resentfulness, and some modern slogans

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel B Klein

Abstract

Scholars distinguish between gratitude and gratefulness. Both sentiments involve an appreciation of the benefits that one enjoys. Gratitude, however, also involves a positive feeling directed to the benefactor. Gratefulness does not necessarily involve any benefactor, much less a feeling towards one (‘I am grateful for the warm sunshine’). I suggest a parallel distinction between resentment and resentfulness. I suggest that in the primeval band resentfulness would be provoked by inequality and by non‐inclusiveness, and give rise to proper resentment. But we are not in the band any more. Now, resentfulness is bad, only it should be deemed an atavism. Gratefulness is, rather, a virtue, and should be encouraged. This article suggests that the propagandistic power of the modern slogans of ‘inclusiveness’ and ‘equity’ is atavistic.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel B Klein, 2022. "Gratefulness, resentfulness, and some modern slogans," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(1), pages 135-143, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecaffa:v:42:y:2022:i:1:p:135-143
    DOI: 10.1111/ecaf.12510
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/ecaf.12510
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/ecaf.12510?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Reuben D. Rusk & Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick & Lea Waters, 2016. "Gratitude or Gratefulness? A Conceptual Review and Proposal of the System of Appreciative Functioning," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(5), pages 2191-2212, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Guillaume Tachon & Aïcha Rouibah & Blaire Morgan & Rebecca Shankland, 2022. "A Prototype Analysis of Self-Gratitude: Towards a Broadening of the Concept of Gratitude," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 1867-1885, June.
    2. Elena Gabriela Nicuță & Ticu Constantin, 2021. "Take Nothing for Granted: Downward Social Comparison and Counterfactual Thinking Increase Adolescents’ State Gratitude for the Little Things in Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(8), pages 3543-3570, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:ecaffa:v:42:y:2022:i:1:p:135-143. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0265-0665 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.