Avoid Buying Gift Cards This Holiday Season to Avoid Shady Work
Gift cards are a convenient way to make a gift when you are not entirely sure what someone wants. However, when you give them, you are kind of giving the recipient additional work. In some cases, you can skip them.
As the advice site Art of Manliness explains, gift cards are associated with hidden demand for work. If the recipient wants to get some benefit from the gift card he received, he must make an effort to find something that he can buy with it. Specific gift cards, for example for a restaurant, are easier, but an Amazon or Visa gift card can be used for just about anything. The donor took off the task of finding a gift for the recipient. It’s okay if the recipient would prefer it, but it can also be considered lazy or insensitive. Basically, you’ve given the recipient more work to do:
The traditional idea of giving gifts is that the giver takes the time and thought to make the right gift for a particular person. They take into account the likes, dislikes and hobbies of the recipient, look for what is in the world, and then choose (or make) the gift that, in their opinion, best suits the interests and tastes of the person. The attentiveness of the gift is proportional to the energetic sacrifice that the giver seemingly made when deciding about it (as well as the sacrifice that the giver made all the time in the relationship, with particular attention to the recipient’s expressed desires).
However, when presenting a gift card, the giver takes the time, energy and thought necessary for this process and passes them on to the recipient. Now their job is to think about what they want, analyze what is on the market, weigh the various options and make a purchase.
Of course, not everyone thinks so. Some people actually prefer gift cards because they like their flexibility. Rather than ditching gift cards entirely, think about the needs and desires of the person you are giving. If they would benefit more from a thoughtful gift that you spent your time in, perhaps step away from the card kiosk for a moment.
Down with gift cards! | The art of masculinity