For Ascombe, an intention must manifest in action. This argues that true gratitude is not a passive feeling but an active practice——writing the note, saying the words, returning the favor. It is a verb.

We should be most grateful for what we care about most deeply. Frankfurt’s philosophy helps us create a hierarchy of gratitude, ensuring we prioritize thanking the sources of our greatest loves and necessities.

For Frankfurt, to have conviction is to have something you care about so deeply it becomes a defining feature of your will. It’s a “volitional necessity.” This is about the purpose such convictions serve: they give your life structure, integrity, and non-negotiable meaning.

This pushes gratitude to its limit. Even if the universe is meaningless and doomed, we can be grateful that the laws of physics allowed for our temporary existence. It is a gratitude stripped of all fantasy, pure and stark.

We should be most grateful for what we care about most deeply. Frankfurt’s philosophy helps us create a hierarchy of gratitude, ensuring we prioritize thanking the sources of our greatest loves and necessities.