So, Scrooge was Right After All
Ross Gittins,
Sydney Morning Herald,
Dec 29, 2003
It's still pretty slow out there, so I'm continuing to mix the holiday reading with the e-learning stuff. In this item, the economic advantage of gifts is discounted - you are more likely to get less for your $50 if you exchanged gifts than if you spent the money on yourself. Well, d'uh. But the author, naturally, misses the point of gift giving. No, it's not to show emotional attachment and all that. No, it's a form of gambling. When you exchange gifts, you are wagering that you will get something worth more than the money you spent buying a gift. It's a tricky game - spend too little, and you will start receiving trinkets in return. Spend too much and you will be on the losing end of the gamble. What you want to do is to get the best item you can for the least amount of money - but, of course, shopping during the Christmas season of high pressure and high prices pretty much guarantees that you won't. Me? I don't gamble, and when I give gifts it's always (a) outside the gift-giving season, and (b) not part of a gift exchange. You know. Like a gift.
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