gift economy

Although I appreciate the gesture, I’m not The Godfather! My help doesn’t come with strings attached. If I take the time to do something for you, it’s not because I’m a matcher looking for something in return. It’s because I aspire to be a giver—I enjoy being helpful. My effort to support you means that I think highly of you and might even care abo... See more

There are some gifts, by the way, that you do not have to pay for. Gifts that come at no cost. Gifts that do not require wrapping paper. Gifts that do not contribute to climate change. Gifts that can help bring peace and harmony to the world.

Here are 3:

1. The Gift of a Smile.


2. The Gift of Listening.


3. The Gift of Gratitude.

Many of us have gift relationships with our immediate families where keeping an accounting ledger of expenses would seem absurd. However many of us are afraid to take this approach with most other people in our life. I think this is not because we don’t like being generous but because we have enormous expectations and hang-ups about how we think ab

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