Dear Friends, In our culture, we usually think of gifts as presents: wrapped packages given on holidays, birthdays, and special occasions, but the gift is something much more powerful and pervasive. The gift is an element threaded through all of our relations with the world. To anthropologists, the gift is one of the fundamental ways we create enduring connections with each other.
Sal, this was so beautiful and felt in many ways like an articulation of how I think about giving care and attention to others in my life. I do agree that there is a desire to escape market logic and just give for very social, generous reasons!
I love this! Reminds me a lot of Robin Wall-Kimmerer’s essay, “The Serviceberry.” And the exercise fills me with a sense of gratitude and abundance. Thanks for sharing this gift, Sal!
This was deliciously thought-provoking. Although consumer culture has tried to condition us to *think* that we really want the "freedom" that comes from a clean, one-and-done marketplace transaction, it cannot extinguish our human yearning for the connection and authenticity that only comes from gifting. I appreciate your emphasis on the interplay that exists between the two, and the invitation to look for the gifts in all transactions and interactions. Thank you.
I will be thinking about this piece for a while. It is a gift.
Maj-Britt! I would love to know any thoughts that arise.
Sal, this was so beautiful and felt in many ways like an articulation of how I think about giving care and attention to others in my life. I do agree that there is a desire to escape market logic and just give for very social, generous reasons!
Thank you so much, Celine, and thank you for sharing!
I love this! Reminds me a lot of Robin Wall-Kimmerer’s essay, “The Serviceberry.” And the exercise fills me with a sense of gratitude and abundance. Thanks for sharing this gift, Sal!
Ah, I haven’t read that yet. Thank you!
This was an enjoyable read; I never considered gifts in this way before.
Good insight 😌. Can I translate part of this article into Spanish with links to you and a description of your newsletter?
Hi Salvador, sure! I'd be pleased if you passed some of this on to your readers.
I hope it is ok for you (at the bottom, about you, your newsletter and your serie):
https://cienciasocial.substack.com/p/arte-y-economia-del-regalo
This was deliciously thought-provoking. Although consumer culture has tried to condition us to *think* that we really want the "freedom" that comes from a clean, one-and-done marketplace transaction, it cannot extinguish our human yearning for the connection and authenticity that only comes from gifting. I appreciate your emphasis on the interplay that exists between the two, and the invitation to look for the gifts in all transactions and interactions. Thank you.
Happy new year