A gift refused is a relationship spurned and it registers as an act of hostility, a precursor to aggression. A gift accepted and violated, a gift unappreciated and thus unstewarded, is an insult to the gift giver and presages the cessation of the flow of gifts. The key to gifting is that no gift stands alone.
Gift exchange means the opposite of market exchange. Market exchange implies the elimination of on-going obligation; gift exchange implies the reinforcement of on-going obligation. Gifts are assets that constitute a flow. Gifts engender flows by ratifying relationship while at the same time inculcating obligation. The relationship allows the participants to experience something that fulfills them and gives them some substance in their lives. The obligation defines the social structure. Both the relationship and the obligation make the people feel important.
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