Thanksgiving 2023: Giving thanks isn't just a holiday tradition. It's part of how humans evolved
Hindustan TimesIt's the season of giving thanks — and it turns out humans have been doing it for a long, long time. As more researchers dig into the science of gratitude, they've found the feeling likely played a key role in helping our ancestors band together and survive. Though we can't “speak chimp” well enough to know if they're actually saying thanks, Suchak added, it makes sense that some form of this social debt showed up early in our lineage. Studies have found gratitude may show up in a few spots in our genes and brains — including ones linked to social bonding, feeling reward and seeing other people's point of view. Giving thanks might be good for you, too: A 2016 study found that people who wrote letters of gratitude reported better mental health and saw changes in their brain activity — even months down the line.
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SalonGiving thanks isn’t just a holiday tradition. It’s part of how humans evolved
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