Ingratitude is a natural human trait — not a moral failing unique to certain people, but a common condition that follows from insufficient modeling and education. Andrew Carnegie reportedly gave millions to institutions and only $1 million to a personal acquaintance, who still complained. Gratitude, it seems, rarely scales with generosity.
Once you accept this as simply true — not as a reason to stop giving, but as a fact about human nature — the disappointment loses much of its sting.
Giving unconditionally, without expectation of thanks, isn’t naive. It’s the only approach that actually protects your wellbeing. Resentment produces toxic emotions that harm the body. Releasing expectation releases you.
Teach gratitude to children by modeling it yourself. That is the only reliable way it spreads.
— Thiện Minh