Contents
- 1. Impressions are more valuable than things
- 2. «Long-playing» gifts are preferable to gifts «for one day»
- 3. Do not think long about the gift
- 4. If the recipient has made a list of gifts, it is better to choose one of the items
- 5. Do not focus only on the price of a gift
- 6. Don’t Give Difficult-to-Use and Impractical Gifts
- 7. Don’t show off how well you know the recipient’s tastes.
Most often, the ideas of the ideal gift for the giver and recipient differ — this is influenced by both the interests and views on the life of each of them. A social psychologist explains what we do wrong when we choose a gift for a special occasion.
We often buy gifts for the holidays in a hurry, exhausted by work rushes and traffic jams, but we want to give our loved ones something special. It’s so nice to look forward to the moment when a friend opens a box decorated with a bow and gasps. When the daughter squeals with happiness, having received what she has long dreamed of, and a colleague will be delighted with a small souvenir chosen with a soul. However, ideas about good gifts for givers and recipients often do not coincide.
The main mistake is that we attach too much importance to the moment when the recipient opens the gift. We dream to surprise him with originality or value, we count on a firework of emotions. But even a bright, original gift, which the giver chose and packed for a long time, can disappoint another person.
It’s not that the recipients are too practical or mercantile. They like attention and care, they love surprise gifts, but they immediately try to imagine how they will use them. They evaluate the gift in terms of usefulness, convenience and durability.
In order for your gift to really please the recipient, remember what you have been talking about lately, what he admired, what gifts he was happy about. Think about whether the thing you have chosen will be useful and in demand for a long time. And follow the 7 principles for choosing a good gift:
1. Impressions are more valuable than things
Donors often choose something tangible: fashion gadgets, accessories. But recipients are often more excited about an experience gift: a certificate for dinner at an unusual restaurant or a ticket to a premiere.
2. «Long-playing» gifts are preferable to gifts «for one day»
We often choose what will cause instant joy, but the choice should be made in favor of things that will give emotions for more than one day. It is more pleasant to receive a bouquet of unblown buds, because it will please the eye for a long time, and blossoming flowers will wither tomorrow.
3. Do not think long about the gift
It is generally accepted that the more a person thinks about what to give, the more valuable the gift will be. However, in reality, the recipient cannot feel whether the giver thought a lot or little about him when he chose a tea set or a knitted sweater.
4. If the recipient has made a list of gifts, it is better to choose one of the items
When it’s not a romantic gift for a loved one, it’s better to give something that is really needed. Perhaps a set of cutlery would not please you personally, but it is exactly what the recipient needs.
5. Do not focus only on the price of a gift
An expensive gift does not mean a good one. Most recipients do not measure relationships in rubles or dollars.
6. Don’t Give Difficult-to-Use and Impractical Gifts
Most prefer easy-to-use things, so complex fixtures and devices often gather dust on the shelves.
7. Don’t show off how well you know the recipient’s tastes.
Buying a certificate for your friend’s favorite store, you limit her choice rather than doing a good deed. A gift debit card is a more versatile gift.