On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti The power of gratitude
Nov 26, 2025
Psychologist David DeSteno, a leading expert on gratitude, shares fascinating insights into its profound effects on our lives. He explains how practicing gratitude daily can enhance patience, honesty, and generosity. DeSteno highlights its evolutionary advantages and the science behind how gratitude fosters social bonds and moral behavior. He also discusses the physical health benefits, explores simple ways to cultivate gratitude in daily life, and reflects on how this practice has transformed his own well-being.
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Gratitude Signals Interconnection
- Gratitude is feeling goodness in your life that didn't come from you and signals interconnection with others.
- It differs from happiness because it requires recognizing external sources of care or fortune.
Gratitude Boosts Group Cooperation
- Gratitude evolved to boost cooperation by motivating payback and pay-it-forward behavior.
- It values thought and care behind acts more than objective resource amounts.
Lab Study With Helpful Actors
- DeSteno described lab studies using trained actors who secretly help participants with a difficult task.
- Later the actor asks for help and participants' gratitude predicts how much effort they give.