The DEFUNCT art of Appreciating!

I have often wondered why do we refrain ourselves from appreciating, acknowledging or cherishing the smallest of gestures in life. This seems all the more surprising when we don’t even spare a thought before passing on our critical remarks on anything against our liking. One of the most probable reasons behind such an attitude could be that we take lot of things in life for granted, so we don’t feel the need to acknowledge or appreciate them.

For instance, not many husbands appreciate their wives for serving them a sumptuous meal; in all probability assuming that this is a part of their wife’s job description. Not many students feel the need to thank their teachers for all the teachings they are imparting, probably fearing that the teacher might take it offensively. Hardly any Managers take the effort to appreciate their subordinates, probably apprehending that they (subordinates) might quote these appreciations during the appraisal time and ask for a better pay hike. Not many of us feel the need of thanking the sales boy in the departmental store for helping us with our requirements, probably considering that as our birth right over the poor guy. Similarly not often we thank our maids for doing their normal chores at our houses, fearing that she might take an off the very next day or use this accolade for her advantage in the future. And so on. But just imagine, if any one of these characters does something that is not as per our expectations or likings then how quick we are to pounce on them or criticize them.

But if we relate this apathy or indifference to a scenario where we are praised for something very trivial, it’s actually very contrasting. A note of praise or an appreciating remark that comes our way from any quarter does wonders to our confidence and makes us feels buoyant about life. And this is quite natural and happens to everybody howsoever young or old, senior or junior, celebrity or commoner. We might at times feel that being a youngster praising our mom for the food she cooks for us won’t affect her; ask her how good she feels when her son or for that matter anybody else praises her for her art. She not only feels good about herself, importantly she feels wanted. Being an employee we often feel that praising ones manager would be treated as sycophancy or a note of appreciation coming from an employee much junior in post would hardly make a difference to him but ask that manager how good or complete he feels about his credentials when somebody drops a note of appreciation. Same goes for the people who serve us to make our lives comfortable, be it maids, vendors or security guards, we might not feel the need to acknowledge their services, thinking what good will it do to us. But appreciating their efforts once in a while does a world of good to their confidence and it reflects in the exuberance with which they serve you post that.

So this knack of holding ourselves back on appreciating even those gestures that we have liked is certainly not a good one. It hardly breaks a sweat in acknowledging something praise worthy, moreover the effect it has on the person you are praising is rejuvenating. After all, howsoever, accomplished and successful someone might be in his field, nobody still minds being praised. Every accolade still matters! Even a certain Amitabh Bachchan, who has been receiving accolades for years now isn’t certainly bored of such notes of appreciation and says, to this date he feels good and derives inspiration from such pleasantries and carves for more. So the effect these gestures has on our lives is surreal, it just makes our lives a little more colorful, tad more beautiful and gives us a sense of hope and pride.

It’s all about being a bit more expressive and compassionate!

PS- The same holds good for the breed of amateur writers too but it might not hold true with Wives appreciating their Husbands, that's an altogther different dynamics then:)

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