Why Do We Say Thank You?

Why do we say thank you? It is a very simple concept, but one that is very often forgotten. Saying 'thank you' is an expression of gratitude for a present, a thoughtful act or complement or for helpful support, eg 'for just being there'. It shows how much we appreciate the gesture and how indebted we are to the person who made the gesture. Of course it displays good manners and we are taught from a young age that manners are part of being a first-rate person, but it goes deeper than that. The recipient of a spoken or written thank you, or even just a 'thumbs up', gets a warm and fuzzy feeling and our relationship with that person is enhanced and improved.

We can say thank you to all sorts of different people in our daily lives, the bus driver, the checkout operator, the receptionist and the driver who lets you out of a side street in heavy traffic; all the people who make our lives a little bit easier and help to make our day more straightforward. Acknowledging when someone has done or said something kind or thoughtful makes us feel appreciative and caring.

However it can be all too easy to forget to say thank you to those closest to us. We can often take them for granted and not be grateful for the help and support we receive. It is often said that 'we take our frustrations out on those closest to us' and this can damage and injure relationships if not remedied.

To say 'thank you' every now and again to our friends and family can repair and protect relationships and make them stronger in the long run. A simple card or a more elaborate gift lets the recipient know how much we care and how greatly we value both the person and the gestures they have made on our behalf.

Saying 'thank you' is such a simple act but it is sincerely cherished and treasured and creates a relationship of respect and regard which is very precious.