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Giant Brain Candy: Your Thanks Mean More Than You Think. People writing thank-you letters underestimated how surprised and pleased recipients would be, and overestimated how awkward recipients would feel. The more awkwardness they expected, the less willing they were to write. Source: Undervaluing gratitude.
Strong evidenceThe research
  1. Kumar, A., & Epley, N. (2018). Undervaluing gratitude: Expressers misunderstand the consequences of showing appreciation. Psychological Science, 29(9), 1423–1435.

Journey 5 · Gratitude

Your Thanks Mean More Than You Think

People writing thank-you letters underestimated how surprised and pleased recipients would be, and overestimated how awkward recipients would feel. The more awkwardness they expected, the less willing they were to write.

Source: Undervaluing gratitude · Strong evidence

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Giant Brain Candy: The Thank-You Letter Visit. In an online trial of happiness exercises, writing a thank-you letter and delivering it in person gave the biggest immediate lift of all. The boost lasted about a month. Source: The gratitude visit.
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