Avoiding Stuff

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 09:53:52 -0400

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

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 09:13:22 -0400

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.

Generals on Gift Ideas

Avoiding Stuff

Principles of good gifts