Etymology
The word 'glitch' has a surprisingly specific origin story involving 1960s astronauts, and gratitude research has produced some genuinely striking findings about how it affects the brain.
A Word NASA Helped Popularize
The word 'glitch,' meaning a small malfunction or unexpected error, likely comes from the Yiddish 'glitshen' or German 'glitschen,' meaning to slip or glide. It entered mainstream English usage significantly through NASA's Mercury and Gemini space programs in the early 1960s, where astronauts and engineers used it informally to describe small, sudden electrical or technical hiccups. Astronaut John Glenn is often credited with popularizing the term in print, describing it in his own account of the era's space missions.
From there, 'glitch' spread into broader technical and then everyday usage, eventually picking up its now-common meaning in video games, computing, and casual conversation, describing anything from a software bug to a strange, unexplainable hiccup in an otherwise smooth process.
A Research Field That Took Off in the Late 1990s
Modern gratitude research as a distinct field of positive psychology gained significant momentum starting in the late 1990s and early 2000s, notably through psychologist Robert Emmons, whose studies found that people who kept regular gratitude journals reported measurably higher well-being, better sleep, and even fewer physical symptoms compared to control groups. Subsequent research has linked consistent gratitude practices to changes in brain activity in regions associated with reward and social bonding, giving the popular advice to 'find something to be grateful for' a real, measurable basis.
- Robert Emmons' influential gratitude studies were published starting around 2003, in collaboration with psychologist Michael McCullough.
- Some gratitude research distinguishes between a temporary grateful mood and a longer-term grateful disposition, which appear to have different effects on well-being.
- The word 'gratitude' comes from the Latin 'gratus,' meaning pleasing or thankful, the same root behind words like 'grace' and 'congratulate.'
The Design
A lotus flower split between clean linework and a glitch-distorted digital half, grateful for the glitch lettered beneath, for the one who's found something to appreciate even in the parts of the process that didn't go as planned.
Glitch-art lotus illustration on a soft, garment-dyed Comfort Colors tee.
Browse the Full Collection
Every Comfort Colors tee Etherlotus makes, in one place.
Shop All T-Shirts →Frequently Asked Questions
Did NASA actually coin the word 'glitch'?
NASA didn't coin it, but the Mercury and Gemini space programs in the early 1960s significantly popularized its use in English, borrowing from earlier Yiddish or German roots meaning 'to slip.'
Is there real research behind gratitude journaling?
Yes. Psychologist Robert Emmons' studies, beginning in the early 2000s, found measurable well-being, sleep, and physical health benefits associated with consistent gratitude practices.
What's the difference between grateful mood and grateful disposition?
Research distinguishes a short-term grateful feeling from a longer-term personality trait of gratitude, with some evidence they affect well-being differently over time.
What's the shirt's fit?
Unisex, true to size. Check the product page size chart before ordering.
Get the Grateful for the Glitch
Glitch-art lotus illustration on garment-dyed Comfort Colors cotton.
Shop the Tee →Made to order. Ships in 3 to 7 business days.
0 comments