![]() Indeed, his research indicates that people often give gifts that reflect their own desires and motivations rather than considering the preferences of the recipient. Julian Givi, an assistant professor of marketing at West Virginia University’s John Chambers College of Business and Economics. “People tend to fall into the trap of not fully putting the recipient first,” said Dr. (Mothers-in-law fared badly in the not-so-scientific survey, whose participants included a pilot, a school crossing guard, a priest, an interior designer and a UPS delivery person, among others.) Even worse are gifts that imply criticism, such as a flat iron given by another mother-in-law to a daughter-in-law who always wore her hair curly. Bad gifts make you wonder if the giver knows you at all - like the floral china teapot given by a mother-in-law to a daughter-in-law whose tastes ran midcentury modern, and who had (she thought) made it clear that she preferred brewing tea in a mug. Good gifts - such as the old window frame a college student’s first serious boyfriend gave her, with a photograph of her favorite view mounted inside - show that you have paid attention. “So in the rush of the holidays - that panic of ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to get gifts’ - it is a good idea to take a little time to think about ‘What do I want to say here with this gift?’” Bonnie Buchele, a psychoanalyst in Kansas City, Mo., who has heard her share of angst about gifts, both given and received. “Gifts are an expression of feeling,” said Dr. ![]() ![]() While marketers, influencers and innumerable holiday gift guides might suggest otherwise, whether a present is a home run or an epic fail depends less on cost, design, style, presentation or practicality and more on the giver’s ability to listen, observe and empathize - and perhaps do a little sleuthing. When it comes to gift-giving, context is everything. The instant ramen, on the other hand, was a hit because that particular flavor, spicy miso, was not widely available, and the recipient’s mother, who knew her son was crazy about it, tracked down a case. deeply resented, you would most likely fail spectacularly: The diamond earrings bombed, for example, because the giver had not noticed that the recipient, his girlfriend of three years, did not have pierced ears. If you were to guess which items were wildly appreciated vs. What do diamond earrings, an old window frame, a purple bicycle, a china teapot, a jigsaw puzzle, a flat iron, instant ramen and an espresso machine have in common? They were all gifts that respondents to a not-so-scientific field survey said were among the best, or worst, they had ever received.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |