Ungrateful In Deed Not Ungrateful Indeed; Two Sides Of A Coin

Ungrateful in deed means someone who does not show gratitude through their actions. While ungrateful indeed means someone who is truly unappreciative. In other words, people in the ungrateful in deed category may be grateful but their behaviour or character does not match thier words. In contrast, the ungrateful indeed category do not acknowledge or express gratitude in anyway. It is more like they take everything for granted. However these concepts are entirely different but most people consider them similar. Societal expectations and norms can sometimes lead people to act grateful even if they do not genuinely feel it. This could be due to social pressure or fear of judgment.

A neitizen recently tweeted " what a time to celebrate this progress, bag of rice is now sold at 60k and even sold at 52k in Kastina, Nigerians have nothing to say but words of thanks to the honourable Minister of Food Security and Agriculture......" Seriously! "Nothing to say but words of thanks?"

This is a fellow Nigerian that is indirectly saying that other Nigerians are ungrateful and that there is a need to be grateful, thereby creating social pressure. A pressure, I fear, he is feeling, himself. However, he has probably forgotten that there are two sides of a coin. In my opinion, for some reasons, a number of people are ungrateful in deed, while some are ungrateful indeed. I will use the tweet to explain while some are ungrateful indeed or ungrateful in deed as it appears. Well, I have decided to be ungrateful indeed to the Minister of Food Security and Agriculture, because I have learnt to stick to the pattern of the quote my mum always tells me that "whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well". The first step to writing this piece well is to state that "Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, wrote that quote in a letter to his son.

The price of a 50kg bag of rice that I am expected to be grateful for was sold for 80,000-88,000 naira as of the beginning of April 2024 and it is now being sold for 52,000-62,000 naira. Waoh! What a time to be grateful indeed and in deed! However, I remember experiencing it and reading reports of how the price of rice has been inflated over time. Leadership news reported 6 months ago on "the increment in the prices of a 50kg bag of rice over the years" which were: '2014: N10,000, 2015: N10,000, 2016: N13,000, 2017: N16,000 2018: N18,500, 2019: N19,500, 2020: N26,000 2021: N25,000, 2022: N31,000 2023: N55,000.' I will also add that in 2024 : 88,000. And now that it is being sold for 60,000, and of course, we are expected to be grateful indeed. Funnily enough, the Buhari-led administration left the price of rice at 30,000-31,000 while the "awa lokan" led administration took it up from there, arrived at 88,000 and went back to 60,000 and expect us to show some gratitude. Bottom line is that some of us are either grateful indeed or ungrateful indeed. We are either doing it well or not doing it at all.

On the other side of the coin, some are grateful but ungrateful in deed. It is important to consider that some individuals may genuinely feel grateful but struggle to express it through their actions. They might have difficulty showing appreciation, but it does not mean they do not feel it inside.This highlights the importance of understanding that gratitude can be complex and not always reflected solely through outward behaviour.

Nevertheless, we believe that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well, it implies that we should approach tasks and actions with a sense of dedication, commitment, and excellence. Just as it is important to genuinely feel and express gratitude, it is also important to put in our best effort and strive for excellence in the things we do.

Also, by exploring both sides of the coin, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of gratitude alongside other facets of life and how it can manifest differently in different individuals. It reminds us not to judge solely based on outward appearances and to consider the internal experiences of others.

In essence, when we talk about being ungrateful in deed, it means that someone may go through the motions of expressing gratitude without truly feeling it. Similarly, if we approach tasks or actions with a mindset of just going through the motions, without putting in genuine effort or doing them well, it can be seen as insincere or lacking authenticity.

In conclusion, both concepts discussed earlier depict the importance of authenticity and sincerity in our actions, whether it is expressing gratitude or pursuing tasks and goals. It reminds us to be present, engaged, and committed to doing things in a way that reflects our true intentions and values.

(c) 2024 Oluwatomisin Kayode writes from Lagos, Nigeria.