Keys to Successful Blogging: Gratitude

Posted on 24. Jan, 2009 by Julius.

Everyone wants to be successful. It is a normal human need to strive for success. But what does success mean?

I guess everyone has his own definition of success and that is why some may stay home laying on the sofa, watching TV while others work hard. My definition of success is happiness.

With this in mind I started a series called “Keys to Successful Blogging.” In the series we already talked about persistence and simplicity as keys to blogging. Today we will take a look at gratitude.

Gratitude is as important in every day life as it is in blogging. I often write to other bloggers and make them aware of an article that might be useful for them or something similar. There were countless times when I didn’t receive any response. When I do people a favor as a human I usually expect something in return, may it just be a “thank you.”

Nongratitude

Receiving no response can be seen as nongratitude according to Robert Emmons. It is the failure of acknowledging of having received a benefit and the failure to return the favor. Nongratitude itself is bad but it  is nothing compared to ingratitude.

Ingratitude

I hate ingratitude more in a man than lying, vainness, babbling, drunkenness, or any taint of vice whose strong corruption inhabits our frail blood.
Shakespeare

Shakespeare is not alone in his opinion. People like James Thomson, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant share his view about ingratitude. Because ingratitude is so despised by society, it is even more important today to show gratitude.

Nothing is more effective than being grateful. It is not without a reason that Meister Eckhart said: If the only prayer you say in your life is “thank you”, it would be enough.

The hatred of ingratitude is also the reason why our parents teach as children to be grateful and to say “thank you” when you have received a favor.

1. Keys to Successful Blogging: Persistence
2. Keys to Successful Blogging: Simplicity