Imagine that you were going through a difficult time in your life. Your friends and family members reached out to you, helping you through all the sadness you were experiencing. You immediately feel like you should at least thank these people for taking the time and attention to help you, don't you?
While this is the behavior that many people would have, others could simply go on living, not appreciating the help they received. Or worse: they would start to mistreat the people who were by her side at all times. If you've never met someone who did this, maybe you are that person.
Ingratitude is an attitude defined by the lack of recognition of another person's work or effort. It's failing to thank someone who has done a lot for you or refusing that there are reasons to be grateful for the life you have. As harmless as ingratitude may seem to some people, it can be very harmful. Find out more below!
signs of ingratitude
If you already have a suspicion that you have come across many ungrateful people in your life, the following signs of ingratitude will help you to dispel your suspicions. If you identified with people who reproduce this type of behavior, it's time to find out if ingratitude has guided your actions.
1) Difficulty in giving thanks
The first and most obvious sign of ingratitude is the difficulty a person has to thank for the kindnesses they do for him or the good things he has in life. Have you ever found yourself having a pessimistic attitude towards your life, believing that there is nothing good in it? Or have you ever stopped thanking someone for believing that person had done something unimportant?
2) Inability to recognize the efforts of others
“He did no more than his duty” is a typical phrase of people who have ingratitude as a way of life. They believe that everything others do is their obligation and therefore do not need to be thanked or recognized. Sometimes you can be ungrateful even to yourself, when you don't recognize that you did the best you could in a given situation.
3) Complaints about the person offering assistance
There is a popular saying that goes “A horse given, you don't look at the teeth”. It's a way of saying that if you're receiving help without offering anything in return, ideally you accept and thank them, without pointing out possible flaws. If you're willingly helping someone, you don't want to get complaints, do you? So don't do it when someone else is doing something for you.
How does ingratitude harm each person?
Perhaps you are imagining that ingratitude is an unpleasant or uncomfortable attitude, but that it does not have much negative impact on a person's life. But not quite. The truth is that ingratitude can harm both the person who is ungrateful and the person who has to deal with this kind of behavior.
The person who is ungrateful will have a tendency to never be satisfied with anything he has in life or with any favors that are done for him. For her, everything can always be or be better. It's not wrong to have ambition, but it's harmful to believe that everything we have is bad or that other people aren't good enough at what they do.
Also, as much as this person doesn't show gratitude and fails to thank you for what they do for them, they are still benefiting from all the help they receive. She does not fail to reap the benefits of others' gratitude, but she is always distributing complaints to those who are dedicated to helping her. Usually, these people are considered energy-suckers, because they always expect someone to do everything for them, without feeling the need to thank them.
On the other hand, the person who lives with someone who spreads ingratitude may feel unmotivated and insufficient. By not having their work recognized, this person may imagine that they are not good at what they do, or that there is no point in continuing to carry out the activities they develop. After all, she doesn't get positive feedback about her performance.
In the work environment, among friends, in a family and even in an introspective moment, ingratitude will only bring harm to those who practice it and to those who receive it. Discouragement, demotivation and low self-esteem are the main problems that this attitude can cause.
How to deal with ungrateful people?
Dealing with ungrateful people can be harder than it looks. Ingratitude develops from pessimism and negative energies, making the ungrateful person increasingly bitter.
If she is your friend, you can talk to her about this behavior. Show that this attitude has more harm than good, both for her and for other people.
It will be more difficult to deal with ingratitude when it is present in your work environment. In many cases, there is no freedom to talk to people who should be grateful for your work.
When talking to your superiors is difficult, the best thing you can do is carry on with your tasks, occasionally asking if there is anything you can improve on. Believe in yourself and your potential even if ingratitude reigns in the place where you work.
Ingratitude in the family is more frequent than we can imagine. Many believe that ties of blood or consideration override the need for any show of thanks, as if it's obvious that the person is grateful, since they love you. This is the only case where ingratitude may not be intentional.
Your family member believes that you already know they are grateful, so they stop thanking you. A friendly, honest conversation about how you feel about it can change everything!
If ingratitude is your problem, which is inside you, there is the possibility of changing your attitude. You shouldn't learn to deal with behavior that hurts you and others, should you? Next, learn to turn ingratitude into gratitude!
How to turn ingratitude into gratitude?
Transforming ingratitude into gratitude is the solution for people who recognize that they are reproducing ungrateful behavior. Understanding the need to evolve and change will never be a defect.
All people should be able to understand that, in some cases, they need to adopt new ways of living, to feel better and for others to feel the same way.
Since you want to be a more grateful person for life and for others, just follow the advice we prepared! Let gratitude be part of your life!
1) Think about your life
Every time you feel the urge to say that nothing in your life is good or that you don't get everything you want, reflect. Think about everything you've already achieved and how much you've dedicated yourself to having everything you've accumulated throughout your years of life. Are there still many reasons to complain? Consider that you have people who love you and who will always be by your side no matter what.
2) Recognize the value of each person
Sometimes, when we ask for help, the people who are willing to help don't do everything the way we imagine. One thing or another may turn out differently than we imagined, but that doesn't mean that those who dedicated themselves to helping didn't try. Thank the people who are by your side and who do their best to give you what you want, even when the results aren't exactly what you wanted.
You may also like
- Discover the best benefits of practicing gratitude
- Transform the world and your life with the purest gratitude
- Meet the gratitude challenge and feel an improvement in your life!
3) Be kinder to yourself
Ingratitude can often happen against ourselves. We know we gave our best at something and it still didn't go according to plan. Our first reaction is to believe that we won't be able to use our full potential, but showing gratitude for your achievements, even the ones that aren't perfect, is a way to give yourself a little credit and find the strength to move forward.
By now, you know all about ingratitude and how to avoid this kind of behavior. Remember that talking to other people about this issue so that, in case they are being ungrateful to you, they have the opportunity to recant and evolve.
