Learn to Acknowledge & Appreciate
By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
18 April 2026
“Learn to appreciate.
Appreciation is not just a routine or habitual action; instead, it can be a sudden, profound realization or insight. It adds a layer of depth to the concept, suggesting that genuine appreciation goes beyond surface-level acknowledgment and can bring about a deeper understanding or enlightenment.”
― Monika Ajay Kaul
“Appreciation has the amazing habit of bringing more reasons to be grateful for.”
― Isabella Koldras
“When a quote is quoted, it is recognized.”
― Tamerlan Kuzgov
When a BBC reporter asked the legendary Brazilian footballer Pele how he could achieve so much and become so great, the ever-modest Pele said, 'because of the support of my equally and even more talented teammates.' Did you know, Sir Charles Darwin declined to take the credit of being called 'The Father of Evolution Theory'? He always averred that Alfred Russel Wallace should also get the equal credit to reach the same conclusions independently. In fact, young Wallace sent the copy of his evolution theory to Darwin for his (Darwin's) feedback. Darwin immediately realised that it was a genuine work of a very young and original naturalist and he (Wallace) didn't plagiarise anything from his (Darwin's) painstaking research. It was Darwin's magnanimity that he immediately acknowledged Wallace's genius and requested the Congress of Natural History, London to also mention the name of Wallace as the co-theorist of Evolution theory. Sir Ronald Ross wholeheartedly acknowledged Italian researcher Battista Graci's independent findings when both separately found Plasmodium in Anopheles mosquito as the reason for malaria. This is magnanimity.
'When one acknowledges something good in another person, he too becomes good,' observed Roman statesman Cicero centuries ago. To acknowledge another person's striking qualities, one needs to have an evolved mind. Petty minds can't appreciate anything good or great in others. This noble quality comes only to those who themselves are really great. India's ace opening bat Sunil Gavaskar once stated in an interview to BBC that when he was amassing runs on his debut in 1971 against West Indies, he was continuously encouraged and applauded by two West Indian greats: Sir Garfield Sobers and Rohan Bholalall Kanhai.
Needless to say, both are regarded as the game's finest players. Your own admirable quality paves the way for nobility and you become magnanimous enough to acknowledge others' feats and accomplishments. Urdu poet Adil Hasan Bidar aptly said: Koi chhota nahin hota kisi ki taareef karne se/ Rutba hi badhta hai, kirdaar aur buland hota hai (when you appreciate someone, it doesn't degrade you/ Rather, your own persona gets a boost). Remember this and never lose an opportunity to doff your hat to someone else's appreciable quality or skill. Someone else will soon acknowledge and appreciate when you'll do something remarkable! We grow by acknowledging each other. There is an area within ourselves and within our life that can be stronger and re-aligned to our highest good. This acknowledgement requires honesty. Never forget that all things in nature are reciprocal and when we express our gratitude, we somehow get more opportunities to be grateful for. Moreover, a genuine spirit of appreciation creates bonhomie and cordiality and stops negativity to grow and thrive.
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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/learn-to-acknowledge-and-appreciate/d/139713
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