December 12, 2005

The holiday gift lag

When an annual gift exchange is lopsided, it will stay lopsided forever.

Let's say you give your colleague Jenna a $15 gift certificate and in return she gives you a $25 gift certificate.

You make a mental note of this and remember to give her a larger gift next year. But Jenna too remembers the lopsided exchange, and next year she downshifts your present into a $15 gift certificate.

There is no solution to this problem.

1 comments:

hbinc said...

Isn't it supposed to be the thought that counts, not the specific dollar amount?