📘 Part 3: Giving gifts

This episode's vocabulary

Warranted (adj.) - if something is warranted, there is a good reason for it and it can be accepted.

Common denominator (noun) - something that is the same for all the members of a group and might bring them together.

To swamp (verb) - if something swamps a person, system, or place, more of it arrives than can be easily dealt with.

Set in your ways - not liking change in your life.

Keep abreast of sth -to make sure you know all the most recent facts about a subject or situation.

To prioritize (verb) - to decide which of a group of things are the most important so that you can deal with them first.

Extortionate (adj.) - extremely expensive.

Practical (adj.) - relating to experience, real situations, or actions rather than ideas or imagination.

Utility (noun) - the usefulness of something, especially in a practical way.

Revolve around sb/sth - to have someone or something as the main or most important interest or subject.

Bribery (noun) - an attempt to make someone do something for you by giving the person money, presents, or something else that they want.

Pretext (noun) - a pretended reason for doing something that is used to hide the real reason.

Contingent on/upon sth - depending on something else in the future in order to happen.

Shoddy (adj.) - badly and carelessly made, using low-quality materials.

Proliferation (noun) - the fact of something increasing a lot and suddenly in number or amount.

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Questions and Answers

M: Let's talk about giving gifts. When do people usually send gifts to others?

R: Well, whenever the occasion calls for it, really. The most obvious example is from my own culture and experience are birthdays and Christmas. But there are other religious reasons and periods when gift-giving is warranted. For example, in Judaism, some people get several days of gifts, which is part of the tradition that they have. Another time can be when you accomplish something or reach a milestone like passing your driving test or university entrance exams. So I suppose the common denominator is they all involve something significant in the eyes of the gift-givers.

M: Do people give gifts at traditional festivals?

R: Well, they can if it's part of the festival, it would be difficult to imagine people giving gifts, you know, that tomato throwing festival in Spain, unless you really like rotten fruit. Where I'm from, it's more about the event traditions and rituals rather than the gifts.

M: Why is it hard sometimes to choose a gift?

R: It could be any number of reasons. I think the most common group of them is that you don't know the person's tastes very well, or that they might be really hard to find or afford. Alternatively, there might be too much choice and you sort of get swamped with a range of acceptable options and have trouble narrowing it down.

M: Would you say it's true that it's much harder to choose a gift for older people than for younger people?

R: I'm not sure about that. Younger people's tastes tend to change more frequently than older people who are more set in their ways. So actually, it might be more difficult to buy a gift for younger people, you'd have to keep abreast of all of the trends they're into.

M: Should the price of a gift be important?

R: Assuming you aren't buying it to show off your wealth, not really. I can't imagine people going hunting around to find out how much someone paid for something. It's a waste of time. And quite rude, actually, now I think about it. It's like you value the gift or you value the value of the gift more than the fact someone was thinking of you, which isn't very nice.

M: Will people feel happy when receiving an expensive gift?

R: If that's what they prioritize, then I suppose so. I think it depends on what the gift actually is as well, doesn't it? So for example, in some countries, it's considered normal for wedding rings to be extortionate since they reflect the value of the relationship. Price can also reflect the quality of the material. So you would expect an expensive shirt to last longer. So that would make people happy, as it can be used over a longer period, which saves money. So that's useful and helpful, and I would feel happy then.

M: Is it better to give practical gifts or something less practical?

R: I would say so. But then I'm quite a practical person. So this means that receiving a gift like flowers doesn't mean much to me, since I can't really use it for anything. And in fact, it makes my life more complicated as a result. However, a book about education has some utility for me. And I try to reflect that thinking in my choices of gifts for others.

M: Is gift-giving important to the economy of a country?

R: Well, I think time of year will be crucial when deciding the answer to that. So if we consider times like Black Friday, or the Christmas sales, which basically revolve around gift-giving, then it's quite important, since the money people spend as a group on those days is in the billions. I'm not sure about the consequences outside of that, though. I'm not an economist.

M: Why do companies give free gifts to people?

R: That's all marketing, isn't it? If it's something inexpensive, like a pen or a notebook, then it's like free advertising and a reminder of a company. And when it comes to things which are more expensive than it could be like bribery. So it's like a way of saying, if you like these things, then you should come back for more and then they can use this as a pretext to extract more of whatever it is they want from you.

M: And do you think people enjoy free gifts?

R: It will depend on the character of the person. Well, and it will depend on the qualities of the gift as well. If you're a writer and you like pens and you get a free pen then that will be good. So all of these things have to align or in order for it to be welcomed. And if they don't, then it won't be welcomed.

M: Is it better to give something which is self-made, or something bought in stores?

R: Well it's contingent on a million different things. Like if you're younger, and therefore have less money, then I think something handmade would be acceptable, especially for parents or people close to you, because that's the only option you have for showing how much you care about people. On the other hand, if you're an adult and make something that is of a particularly shoddy quality, you might be in a bit of hot water.

M: Do you think it's common nowadays to give self-made gifts?

R: In general? I have absolutely no idea. My guess would be based on the proliferation of different online shops, it's probably more common to give personalized gifts, rather than something that's mass-produced, whether that's handmade or not, I'm not sure factors into the equation.

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