In the assigned reading I thought it was funny to examine the difference between what I think of as a gift and how the idea might be viewed by others.
For the people described in the reading, gifts are representative of another idea or action. To that mindset I think it would be laughable to consider something a "free gift". After all you wouldn't be exchanging a personally relevant trinket or service to someone; the exchange would be heavily weighted by mysticism, obligation, and the burden of reciprocation. For those people the act of giving a gift is engaged in while considering the overall survivability of the society; hardly an gesture of personal generosity.
Onto the question- Is there such a thing as a free gift?
Of course there is. What a sad, shitty little world we live in that anyone could seriously question such a concept. What manner of cynical, socially diseased, infantile misanthrope would actually conjure the notion the every act should be construed first as selfish and perhaps only later be investigated as magnanimous? A douche bag, that's what kind. If you are one of these small, miserable creatures, I apologize for offending you. You are, presumably, an adult so I hope you have learned to take such criticism in stride.
What makes you think of what would be a good gift for someone? Why do you agonize and torture yourself over finding the "perfect" gift? Why is it that when you receive a gift, practically anything is "perfect"? A gift is something given out of respect and gratitude. Hopefully, for most of us, it is gratitude for nothing more than the fact that you are actually better for having whoever you are giving to in your life. That what makes the act of gift giving meaningful. It's the only thing that makes giving a gift important.
A FINAL NOTE:
If you have ever given someone a Gas card, edible clothes or a bag of rock candy as a "gift"; please, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars- you are f&#king fired.
Instead proceed directly to the corner of Balboa and Michigan Ave after class were I will be waiting to beat you to death with a sack full of doorknobs. You are a horrible person.
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3 comments:
I'm confused a bit at your FINAL NOTE there, what is wrong with those presents (edible clothing...as in edible panties kinda deal?).
I'm confused as well... This sounds a little abrasive, I mean, everyone is different. If someone gave me a gas card I would be pretty grateful as I have to drive everywhere... There would have been some thought put into it. That would be useful to me. I don't think the gift-giver should deserve a beating at your hands for it.
There are different categories of gifts and those sorts of gifts would just fall under something completely different than a cashmere sweater or a puppy in my opinion.
The final note was a joke. I'm a pacifist and do not endorse beatings of any kind.
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