"One Good Deed, Dying Tongueless"

In Act One, Scene Two of William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, Queen Hermione of Sicilia said something that makes me want to practice gratitude more often: "One good deed, dying toungueless // slaughters a thousand waiting upon that."

While I don't know how well that stands up as a universal truth, I can see why it would be true in many circumstances, to one degree or another. People liked to be recognized and praised for doing good things. If there's no or very little recognition, they're likely to be tempted to ask what the point is. Without that recognition, some people would stop. For want of appreciation, they would do fewer good deeds, and the world would be all the worse off for it.

Many people deserve more thanks for the good they do. I hope that all of us make an effort to remember to thank them.