Encountering significant dates from time to time, I was thinking about what makes the difference between a good gift and an ordinary one. Would like to share what I've came up with, a few traits of a great gift:
- Good gifts come unexpectedly. Obviously, people love gifts because of their surprise effect. When a person receives something they couldn't anticipate, the emotional impact is greater.
- Great gifts should be complementary. Such that the person wouldn't go for the thing themselves. Like, one can present some regular product, but if the person was going to buy it anyway, there is not much specialty. On the other side, if the person couldn't even imagine they needed that, the gift filling a particular gap will be very helpful.
- Gifts should stay valuable, along with the responsibility they create. That means the extra value the gift brings should exceed the cost of its management. For instance, when a pet or plant is presented, the giver should make sure that the receiver has room in their life to take care of it properly. Otherwise, that creates more of a burden than a value.
- Perfect gifts shouldn't induce a sense of "obligation". For the last one, receiving a great gift sometimes feels like you have to respond with a comparable gesture, depending on your relationship. It might come useful for the giver, but generally people don't like to owe someone. So, preparing the gift according to the first 3 principles, don't make it outrageously good.
Thank you!