I have been researching gratitude for 25 years, mainly in the field of education. No matter what the context or country, when I raise the topic of resentment in my workshops, the mood of the discussion starts to shift. Participants are generally more engaged, and relieved to know that it’s OK to struggle with the idea that gratitude can be applicable to all situations. Many come up to me afterward and ask me, “OK, I get gratitude, but how can I be grateful when I feel so resentful?” In researching the interplay between gratitude and resentment, my focus is on the smaller “everyday resentments,” rather than those that arise from personal or collective trauma, gross inequities, or historical injustices, for example. No doubt you have experienced everyday resentment in your life: a brother or sister who appeared to be favored by your parents; a neighbor who won’t deal with their …