Some have argued that all instances of gratitude have a certain cognitive element in common: a belief in or an awareness of one’s dependence on others—the sort of awareness typically associated with humility (McAleer 2012; Roberts 2014).
These philosophers argue that humility is an essential part of gratitude, and that being humble is always part of being grateful.
Manela (2016a) argues that this generalization may be overstated.
Humility-related beliefs may be a part of a grateful beneficiary’s response to a benefit that he desperately needed and could not provide for himself.
But if R benefits Y by doing something that Y was perfectly capable of doing for himself (and something Y himself has done for others in the past), then Y could be grateful to R without, in that instance, being aware of any dependence he might have on others.
Gratitude Apprentice 