Thank you; small word, big impact

Did you know that the tradition of expressing gratitude and saying ‘thank you’ has a long history that spans different cultures and civilisations? While it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of this tradition, there are several theories and historical developments that have likely contributed to its establishment.

Gratitude and expressions of thanks have been found in various ancient texts, literature, and cultural practices. For example, ancient Greek dramas and epics often featured characters giving thanks to Gods and fellow humans. Philosophers like Cicero and Seneca emphasised the importance of expressing gratitude to promote moral behaviour and virtuous living.

Therefore, the tradition of saying ‘thank you’ became deeply embedded in human interactions and evolved into a standard way to convey appreciation and gratitude. Hence, writing a good thank you note benefits the stakeholders.

Dr Sunit Kaur, Head of Department-English at Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar opined that it is essential that the thank you note should be genuine as it helps foster relationships and better tie-ups for professional and personal growth.

“A well-worded thank you note ensures the recipient that his efforts have been acknowledged and recognised. It is an assurance of a better and healthy relationship with the sender. It is also a motivation for the recipient’s prompt services in future. By writing a good thank you note the sender can win the confidence and trust of the receiver and also feel assured that the recipient would be willing to offer the services whenever required. Like Mercy, it is twice blessed. Like Portia in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (Act 4, Scene 1) said: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes,” Dr Kaur said.

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A handwritten thank you note is the most precious, heartfelt and genuine expression of gratitude. It is something which is considered invaluable because it can be vouchsafed that the sender wishes to acknowledge and appreciate your efforts

–Dr Sunit Kaur, Head of Department-English at Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar

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But, how does a well-written thank you note enhance a person’s personal or professional relationships? Dr Kaur said that if you wish to enhance personal and professional relationships nothing can work better than a well-worded, beautifully styled and sincere thank you note. “Since time immemorial genuine thank yous have been winning hearts and have been melting even the most hard-hearted fellows who had been denied a genuine acknowledgement through a thank you note,” She said.

This holds good among friends and even professional circles even today. Apart from being a crown of all etiquette, thank you works miracles. Just start thinking on the professional front; for the favours done to you by your colleague or your boss or your subordinate, a conspicuous miss of a thank you note often becomes a barrier in relationships.

“A well-written thank you note becomes a strong bridge to enhance relationships. Everybody wants to be appreciated and acknowledged for the efforts made. A well-written thank you note rejuvenates you and makes you all the more positive towards the sender forming an edifice for a stronger relationship,” Dr Kaur explained.

Expressing gratitude through a thank you note contributes positively to a very positive social environment. Being a social animal, man is always in the process of building up relationships and developing a congenial social environment for himself which is conducive to his personal growth and contributes to his happiness and well-being.

A thank you note brings cheer and better social relationships. Many times we fail in a very simple but significant attempt to express our gratitude to those for whom we are beholden for their endeavours.

“At heart, we may have very positive feelings towards them, but for want of proper expression of our feelings through writing a thank you note, we fail to win hearts and reach out and create a positive social environment.  Some efforts in training ourselves for proper expression through a written thank you note can help create a better world to live in,” Dr Kaur stressed.

However, one has to remember that a thank you note has to be sincere and impactful otherwise it does not serve the desired purpose. Here are some tips for writing the same.

1. A thank you note has to be original and not copied or borrowed.

2. It should not have any superfluity or sycophancy.

3. It should contain a reference to the efforts made by the recipient to make it sound genuine.

4. Brevity being the soul of wit, the feelings of gratitude should be expressed in a few well-worded sentences in place of long redundant paragraphs.

5.  Meticulous care should be taken to make it free from grammatical or spelling errors, especially in professional ones.

Sadly, in today’s digital age, we are pining for originality and creativity which have somewhere got lost. 

“A handwritten thank you note is the most precious, heartfelt and genuine expression of gratitude. It is something which is considered invaluable because it can be vouchsafed that the sender wishes to acknowledge and appreciate your efforts. A thanks note is handwritten, it is a true ‘thank you’ with an ocean of feelings hidden in handwritten words,” Dr Kaur said in conclusion.