3. Helen Keller Speaks of Gratitude

Having been a fan of Martin Seligman and Positive Education for many years my understanding of gratitude was that of “enduring thankfulness” (Seligman, 2012). Following Seligman's Positive Psychology approach, I have spent the past ten years training myself to have a ‘glass half full attitude’. This attitude was reflected in Helen Keller’s Three Day’s to See Article published in 1933. In her article she talks about being grateful for what you have. This is a synopsis of the article.

Most of us take life for granted. Only the deaf appreciate hearing; only the blind realise the manifold blessing that lies in sight. It is the same old story of not being grateful for what we have until we lose it; of not being conscious of health until we are ill. But I, who am blind, can give one hint to those who see; use your eyes as if tomorrow you would be stricken. And the same method can only be applied to other senses; hear the music of voices, the song of the bird, the mighty stains of an orchestra, as if you would be stricken deaf tomorrow. Touch each object you want to touch as if tomorrow your tactile senses would fail. Smell the perfume of flowers, taste with relish each morsel, as if tomorrow you could never smell or taste again. Make every sense glory in the facets of the pleasures and beauty which the world reveals. Thus, at last, you will really see and a new world of beauty will open up before you. (Helen Keller, 1933)

I found Howell’s account of a conference that she attended “where gratitude was thrown around by participants who seem not to take sufficient account of its depth and complexity.” (Howells, 2012, p. 33) interesting and cause for personal reflection. Howells was concerned because,

Not one of the events mentioned that gratitude might be shown towards another. They all seemed to lead towards a solipsistic, self-absorbed notion of gratitude – one that, from my way of thinking, would not be gratitude. It would be something else. ( p. 34)

It is clear that I have more to learn about the meaning of Gratitude.

Howells, K. (2012). Gratitude in Education. Rotterdam: Sense.

Keller, H. (1933). Three Days To See. Atlantic Monthly.

Seligman, M. (2012). Flourish. New York: Free Press.