A Blast from the Past – Appreciation Isn’t a New Idea

February 3, 2025 9:41 am Published by

Human nature often leads us to think that we are smarter than our predecessors or that we’ve come up with a marvelous new idea. (Even though we are reminded from an ancient Middle Eastern King in 1000 B.C. that “there is nothing new under the sun.”) We have fallen to the same mental error if we think communicating appreciation to our colleagues is an amazing 21st century discovery.

This weekend, I was bored and looking for something interesting to read. I was perusing my bookshelves and, lo and behold, I found a book from the 1930s that I was familiar with, and I started looking through it. I was quickly intrigued and surprised that a major concept of this best-selling book from the early 20th century was the importance of communicating authentic appreciation to those around you, and the benefits that follow as a result.

Many of you have probably never heard of the book, although it sold over 30 million copies, making it one of the best-selling books of all time. Originally published in 1937, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie had a tremendous impact on the world of work and organizational leaders in the second half of the twentieth century, largely through small group trainings (over 9 million trainees in 90 countries).

Here are some excerpts that made an impression on me (many seem eerily familiar!).

“One of the most neglected virtues of our daily existence is appreciation. . . Try leaving a friendly trail of little sparks of gratitude on your daily trips.” 

“The difference between appreciation and flattery? That is simple. One is sincere and the other insincere… One is unselfish; the other selfish.” 

“Remember that a person’s name, to that person, is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

“Abilities wither under criticism; they blossom under encouragement.”

“Criticism is futile because it puts a person on the defensive and usually makes him strive to justify himself. Criticism is dangerous, because it wounds a person’s precious pride, hurts his sense of importance, and arouses resentment.”

“Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely.”

“The resentment that criticism engenders can demoralize employees, family members and friends and still not correct the situation.”

“When we are dealing with people, let us remember that we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion.” 

Throughout his career, Mr. Carnegie interviewed numerous individuals who had been successful in their careers in order to learn from them. From his efforts, he gathered some jewels of wisdom.

He quotes Henry Ford:

‘If there is any one secret to success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as your own.”

And from Charles Schwab:

 “.. the way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.”

We must remember: Information is often helpful. True information is often beneficial. Learning wisdom over time can be life changing. But only using information, implementing true information, and applying wisdom in our daily lives makes a difference. 

Consider taking one or more of the principles cited above and proactively, intentionally apply them in your interactions with others this week.* That is a step on the path to success in life.

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*For practical assistance in applying authentic appreciation with your team, use one of our training resources to make it easy to do.

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February 3, 2025 9:41 am

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