American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Surgery Chair Address: “Gratitude”

Abstract

The origins come from the Latin root of ‘Gratus’ which means ‘pleasing’ or ‘thankful’. Cicero (100 B.C.) considered that “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others”. In the 19th century, philosopher David Hume stated, “Ingratitude is the most horrible and unnatural of all crimes that humans are capable of committing”, putting into perspective what may happen when we are ungrateful. Many authors have suggested that the practice of gratitude is not only ancient, but part of an evolutionary natural selection - multiple primate species had a gratitude like behavior– or ‘reciprocal altruism’.

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