Are Gratitude and Appreciation the Same?

Most people use gratitude and appreciation interchangeably. Even grammar and spell check software will suggest one or the other word as substitutes for each other. It happens to me all the time. I usually reject these autocorrect suggestions because I think the concepts of gratitude and appreciation can differ depending on the context in which they are used.

Most dictionaries define gratitude as the quality of being thankful and a readiness to show appreciation. Appreciation is recognizing the actions or good in someone or something. While these definitions somewhat overlap, our feelings of gratitude may lead to appreciation.

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In other words, gratitude is more of a feeling or mindset. And appreciation is an action based on feelings of gratitude or thankfulness. We can also have feelings of gratitude without expressing or showing appreciation. For example, we can be grateful for having a home, but we can go further with our feelings of gratitude by appreciating all the details that make our home unique and special from anyone else’s.

What’s the Takeaway?

“We need to learn to want what we have, not to have what we want, in order to get stable and steady happiness” - Dalai Lama

Gratitude is the foundation that allows appreciation to flourish. The subtle shift in mindset from gratitude to appreciation requires us to be present and actively reflect on what we are grateful for. Cultivating feelings of gratitude helps us to appreciate what we have rather than always striving for more or something new, better, or different.