Generals
Avoiding Stuff
6th December, 2021
We all have too much stuff, don’t we? Doesn’t everyone feel weighed down by their possessions and clutter? Our homes are overflowing with things we never use. As a gift giver, I try not to add to that.
As a gift receiver, I like it when people avoid physical items. I am a soft-hearted sentimentalist; I will bond emotionally with any cheap junk you gift me, because it was a gift from someone I care about. And so I coddle the junk, no matter how inconvenient or unwanted it is.
Here’s a hierarchy of ways to avoid adding to this burden.
Principles of good gifts
30th September, 2021
The whole reason this site exists is because I overthink gifts. Here are some ways I overthink them.
No gift fulfills all of these principles, but they might help you decide whether something’s a good gift. Fundamentally, a gift should say “I know you and care about you”; these are ways to achieve that.