> A reason I basically just don't give gifts is that if I prefer to receive cash, and you prefer to receive cash, then what the hell is the point of it anyway?
> I remember when I was little, probably early elementary, my brother gave me $5 for Christmas. I thought that was really swell of him, so I went to my room and got him $5. In the end, what was the point of it? It didn't mean anything.
This is solved by asymmetrical giving. The structure of Christmas, where everyone gives a gift to everyone else, is wrong. Compare Chinese New Year, where adults give money to children, or a Chinese wedding, where everyone else gives money to the bride and groom.
> I remember when I was little, probably early elementary, my brother gave me $5 for Christmas. I thought that was really swell of him, so I went to my room and got him $5. In the end, what was the point of it? It didn't mean anything.
This is solved by asymmetrical giving. The structure of Christmas, where everyone gives a gift to everyone else, is wrong. Compare Chinese New Year, where adults give money to children, or a Chinese wedding, where everyone else gives money to the bride and groom.