Gift-giving is an important part of human interaction. It defines our relationships and strengthens (or weakens) bonds with friends, family and lovers.

People give gifts for many different reasons: to express appreciation and care, as a way to influence behaviour, to show off or more often than not to simply follow social conventions, e.g. making gifts for Xmas and birthdays.

Whatever the reason, gift-giving is a tricky beast and making a good gift often feels like hitting a jackpot. Why is it like that?

THE GIFT MATRIX

In this gift matrix I attempted to exemplify the main dynamics behind gift-giving. The vertical axis…