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The Politics Of Re-gifting
The season is upon us, when we dutifully drag ourselves to some overcrowded mall and pick out a gift for the significant people in our lives. But who among us hasn’t recycled a gift or two? Is re-gifting really that bad? Let’s discuss.
Some people argue that a gift has the aura of the giver and that by re-gifting, you are committing a social faux pas. But that’s only if you get caught. A professional re-gifter knows the ABCs of doing it the right way.
For one thing, don’t ever re-gift something that you know the receiver won’t be happy to receive. For example, you probably shouldn’t regift disgustingly ugly items or things that don’t work. However, if someone gives you a perfectly good French Press and you are allergic to coffee, than it is totally okay to give that gift to someone who would appreciate it.
Another tip to be mindful of is to make sure you don’t re-gift in your close social circle. You don’t want one friend seeing something they gave you with another friend, that could be awkward. Another helpful tip is to wait a few weeks before giving the gift you received to someone else—this will lessen any guilt you might feel.
Finally and most importantly: always, always, always make sure that you remove any notes or personal memos that were written for you on the gift before you give it away. And if you do get caught, just admit it. You can always green shame them by saying you are an avid recycler.