Troubled Gratitude and the ‘Forgiveness’ Of Favours

Abstract We need a concept for the neglected practice of overcoming gratitude in ambiguous situations where it has bad effects, despite being appropriate. This concept can be found in the philosophy and psychology of forgiveness. Several cases illustrate how gratitude may be bad, mixed with a feeling of dependence, and how overcoming it may be important. There are also reasons for thinking that gratitude can be excessive without being inappropriate. If this is accurate, the question arises as to whether anything can be done about it without abandoning appropriate gratitude; whether there is some practice that allows us to overcome troubled gratitude while remaining grateful as we should be, but without the bad effects. We refer to this as ‘forgiving’ benefits, drawing attention to the analogy with another technique of indirect action on oneself and others, and distinguishing it from renouncing gratitude. We apply a process account tailored to the forgiveness of wrongs to the ‘forgiveness’ of benefits, answer possible objections and take a normative stance on the significance of that nameless practice.