The major positive effects of gratitude on psychology and physiology primarily stem from receiving gratitude or observing others helping, rather than giving gratitude.

“the vast majority of research shows that *receiving or observing* (rather than giving) gratitude is what induces these positive effects.”

“Dramatic positive shifts in mood & neurochemistry come from receiving or observing gratitude. Far less so from giving it.”

“if one were to shift their chemistry toward having higher levels of serotonin, you would, by all logic, experience heightened levels of gratitude.”

“The main neuromodulators associated with gratitude and pro-social behaviors tends to be serotonin. Serotonin is released from a very small collection of neurons in the brainstem called the raphe, R-A-P-H-E, the raphe nucleus, and a few other places in the brain.”

“It turns out, first of all, that receiving not giving gratitude is what has the most potent effects on increasing serotonin and activity of the brain circuits that involve serotonin and that lead to increases in feelings of well-being.”

“The other thing about gratitude that's somewhat counterintuitive is that observing others giving and receiving gratitude is immensely powerful for evoking serotonin and the activity of serotonergic circuits in you, the observer.”

“The main neuromodulators associated with gratitude and prosocial behaviors tends to be serotonin.”