Your Gift Giving Philosophy?

[Relm]

So the holidays are here, by whatever name you might celebrate them (for the sake of these questions, we will assume you do in some way). For many of us, no matter what our personal faith or inclination, it is a time when we are expected to exchange gifts with those close to us. It's certainly the time of year I find myself pondering the meaning of such exchanges (often even as I walk the mall and hit the sales).

Along those lines, a few questions for my fellow INFJs and your gift giving philosophy and how this plays out:

1.) Do you give gifts to others around the holidays?

2.) Are these gifts purchased or handmade?

3.) How do you match gift to person?

4.) If purchased, do you stick to a monetary amount for each person? (If so how do you arrive at this?)

5.) Is there such thing in your mind as the "perfect" gift for a given person & situation? Do you strive for this?

6.) How much importance do you place on giving gifts?

7.) How much importance do you place on receiving gifts?

8.) What dept of meaning do you personally attach to the gifts you give or receive? (In other words: how much meaning do you read into/assign the objects or the exchange?)

9.) How did your childhood experience with holiday gift exchanging impact your current views?


Curious to hear your thoughts. =)

 

[MindYourHead]

I sometimes wish holiday gift giving was something society only did every 5 years.
I think it would mean more. Like many others, I find the focus of the holidays being ostentatious consumerism a huge turn off.

1.) Do you give gifts to others around the holidays?

Yes. To immediate family.

2.) Are these gifts purchased or handmade?

Purchased. Though I have given gifts I made a time or two. I do some metal garden art now and then, and if someone expresses interest in something, they may just find one of their own under the tree.

3.) How do you match gift to person?

I keep a slip of paper in my wallet. If someone such as my Wife expresses interest in something during the course of the year that I think would make a good gift, I write it down. I then refer back to it for her Birthday or Christmas. By then she has often forgot she wanted it and is really surprised!

4.) If purchased, do you stick to a monetary amount for each person? (If so how do you arrive at this?)

We agree to a $150.00 spending limit for each other during Christmas.

5.) Is there such thing in your mind as the "perfect" gift for a given person & situation? Do you strive for this?

I try to follow my gut / initial reaction when buying gifts. If it immediately strikes me as perfect, it often is. I try not to over think it.

6.) How much importance do you place on giving gifts?
7.) How much importance do you place on receiving gifts?

I get more joy giving than recieving.

8.) What dept of meaning do you personally attach to the gifts you give or receive? (In other words: how much meaning do you read into/assign the objects or the exchange?)

I don't try to read into what a gift may mean, or what the person giving is trying to express beyond kindness.
I take it at face value.

9.) How did your childhood experience with holiday gift exchanging impact your current views?

I do still get excited at the surprises that await me.

 

[CindyLou]

So the holidays are here, by whatever name you might celebrate them (for the sake of these questions, we will assume you do in some way). For many of us, no matter what our personal faith or inclination, it is a time when we are expected to exchange gifts with those close to us. It's certainly the time of year I find myself pondering the meaning of such exchanges (often even as I walk the mall and hit the sales).

Along those lines, a few questions for my fellow INFJs and your gift giving philosophy and how this plays out:

1.) Do you give gifts to others around the holidays? Yes

2.) Are these gifts purchased or handmade? Purchased

3.) How do you match gift to person? Yes, I try.

4.) If purchased, do you stick to a monetary amount for each person? (If so how do you arrive at this?) No, I buy until I "feel" right.

5.) Is there such thing in your mind as the "perfect" gift for a given person & situation? Do you strive for this? Yes, but it's too stressful to attempt this for each person each holiday

6.) How much importance do you place on giving gifts? Not much

7.) How much importance do you place on receiving gifts? Not much

8.) What dept of meaning do you personally attach to the gifts you give or receive? (In other words: how much meaning do you read into/assign the objects or the exchange?) No

9.) How did your childhood experience with holiday gift exchanging impact your current views? Not much, I was spoiled rotten so I tend to do the same to others.


Curious to hear your thoughts. =)

 

[christmas]

1.) yes

2.) some are purchased and some are handmade

3.) this is a tough question. i suppose i just wander around a store until i see something i think X person would like. if i am making something, i wander around the arts and crafts store for inspiration.

4.) lol, whatever i have on me at that particular moment in time.

5.) i think so. i don't think i've ever found "the perfect gift" for someone. i always end up with the "near perfect gift." i know i'm kinda bragging here, but when i buy my friends gifts they always tell me how much they appreciate them, sometimes years after i give them. one of my friends still has a jewelry box i gave her over 12 years ago.

6.) i think it is important. i like my friends and fam to know that i made some sort of effort.

7.) i do place some importance on getting gifts. it doesn't have to be expensive or even store bought. i am a believer in, "it's the thought that counts," so if you get me something i hate, i will take it personally, remember it forever, and i will never let you live it down. ask my INFP mother. i know that's a little hateful of me. technically, i forgive her, but i still joke her about it. basically, don't buy me stuff unless you know my likes/dislikes. i find it offensive. hmm, i'm kind of a bitch. write me a poem or pick me some flowers. i also like balloons and crayons.

8.) i don't get a lot of physical gifts (exception clothes and handbags). i like it that way. my mother says i'm the worst person to shop for, hee. i like gifts that are experiences. (take me to the movies, a show, or the museum) i don't place a lot of importance on material things.

9.) ooooo! here's where i get to tell the story. I HATE JIGSAW PUZZLES. one year for Christmas, i think if i remember correctly i wanted Barbie stuff (Barbie convertible) Mario is Missing, and i maybe some Treasure Trolls. (stfu, only child syndrome). imagine my surprise when i woke up, and Santa brought me allllll these wrapped presents under the tree. moms was so excited. i tore into them. the first one was a jigsaw puzzle. i stared at it blankly for a full minute. my mother was trying to encourage me to be excited. it wasn't happening. i opened the second and third and fourth and fifth and eleventy billionth. THEY WERE ALL JIGSAW PUZZLES. i think i started crying. i got a video game and some Barbie clothes, but it didn't matter. i figured my mother hated me because i knew Santa would not do this to me. SHE DID THIS. i think that was the year i stopped believing that Santa came to my house. it's kinda funny now that i think about it. this year i bought my mom some mini puzzles. i'm gonna wrap them up when that boy comes home, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

 

[JGirl]

1.) Do you give gifts to others around the holidays?

yes

2.) Are these gifts purchased or handmade?

usually purchased, but not always

3.) How do you match gift to person?

i choose something i think will compliment their personality, their talents or interests

4.) If purchased, do you stick to a monetary amount for each person? (If so how do you arrive at this?)

i try to, but that is secondary to the gift. if the person is a casual friend i won't spend a ton of cash. that actually is better because it causes me to be more creative in my gift selection.


5.) Is there such thing in your mind as the "perfect" gift for a given person & situation? Do you strive for this?

there is such a thing, but only the recipient can decide if it's the perfect gift or not.

6.) How much importance do you place on giving gifts?

none. but everyone else does, so i play along.

7.) How much importance do you place on receiving gifts?

none. zero. give me the gift of yourself, your time, your interest, your love. that's good enough.

8.) What dept of meaning do you personally attach to the gifts you give or receive? (In other words: how much meaning do you read into/assign the objects or the exchange?)

none, sorry. it's just an obligation to me.

9.) How did your childhood experience with holiday gift exchanging impact your current views?

i did not exchange gifts as a child. it was all about the getting.