Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.

The saying links gratitude with moral excellence: to be thankful is not merely polite, but a marker of inner character. “Noble souls” suggests a person of elevated spirit—someone capable of recognizing benefits received, acknowledging dependence on others, and responding with humility rather than entitlement. In the ethical world often associated with Aesopic moralizing, virtues are practical social habits that sustain community; gratitude repays kindness with recognition and encourages further benevolence. The line also implies a contrast: ingratitude signals pettiness or baseness, because it refuses to see or honor the good done by others. As a maxim, it functions as both praise of gratitude and a gentle rebuke to the unthankful.