Gratitude is the quality of being thankful. It's about focusing on what's good in our lives and being thankful for the things we have.
In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Harvard Health Publishing explains that gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
However, there is a dark side of gratitude. Several research shows that there are situations when being grateful could do more harm than good.
According to the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, expressing one’s thanks in the context of an unequal power relationship can help solidify the power hierarchy and undermine protest by members of the low-power group.
Another dark side of gratitude is when we feel trapped in seeing the good in everything, and if we don't acknowledge our own emotions, we could be ensnared in toxic gratitude. If we force ourselves to feel thankful and hide our real emotions, this can generate stress and frustration that is detrimental to our mental health.
Acknowledging the contrast between the bright and the dark side of gratitude in our life doesn't invalidate all the positive things; on the contrary, it enhances it. As humans, there are moments when we can be so grateful that we forget that we have the right and the responsibility to set boundaries, accept the moment we went through, and work toward something better.