Skip to main content

The Greatest Gifts

The Greatest Gift

With the gift giving season upon us, we offer gift ideas.  These are varied, general, specific, and relevant. Some are easy, some hard, some unusual. 

Stuff...

Money.  Aha!  This is what many folks you know want most of all. Give anyone a million and their eyes will alight with joy. They may tear-up.  In lieu of the million, give someone something expensive.  They may not want it, need it, or even know what to do with it, but it releases your "gift" obligation of the season.

A Special Treat. If you don't have that million, there is something a special friend, a spouse, or sibling might like.  It is so special that they would feel the expense is frivolous or extravagant and will not buy it for them self.  But receiving it would resonate in their heart, and be remembered forever.  Not exactly a gift certificate to Amazon.com.  Of course, you need to know what it is and take the effort to find it.

Gift Certificate.  This is like money.  It is what kids like before a new sweater, jacket, bike, or tablet.  It is fungible, and the delight of receiving is in ruminating of how to spend it.

A pair of socks or gloves or a scarf.  Needed no doubt and gratefully received, these are standard gifts sometimes not always appreciated, often forgotten, but always used.

Not found at the mall...

Love.  Giving the gift of love can't be wrapped and placed under the tree.  It is given daily and with reverence throughout the year. But who offers this no-cost item these days?

Idea.  Giving a friend a new idea can be transformative to their life.  It can lift their soul to new heights. It can demonstrate new pathways.  It is profound!  But how many new ideas can you convey; how many do you have?  Giving this gift will return to you love, friendship, and respect forever.  Believe when I say, you can't just go shopping for these at the The Idea Store.

Gifts not found at the mall are the greatest of all, but the most difficult to give.  Indeed, they are beyond valuation.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Please Comment.

Popular posts from this blog

Behavioral Science and Problem-Solving

I.                                       I.                 Introduction.                Concerning our general behavior, it’s high about time we all had some understanding of how we operate on ourselves, and it is just as important how we are operated on by others. This is the wheelhouse of behavioral sciences. It is a vast subject. It touches our lives constantly. It’s influence is pervasive and can be so subtle we never notice it. Behavioral sciences profoundly affect our ability and success at problem-solving, from the elementary level to highly complex wicked problems. This is discussed in Section IV. We begin with the basics of behavioral sciences, Section II, and then through the lens of multiple categories and examples, Section III. II.     ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Where is AI (Artificial Intelligence) Going?

  How to view Artificial Intelligence (AI).  Imagine you go to the store to buy a TV, but all they have are 1950s models, black and white, circular screens, picture rolls, and picture imperfect, no remote. You’d say no thanks. Back in the day, they sold wildly. The TV was a must-have for everyone with $250 to spend* (about $3000 today). Compared to where AI is today, this is more or less where TVs were 70 years ago. In only a few decades AI will be advanced beyond comprehension, just like TVs today are from the 50s viewpoint. Just like we could not imagine where the video concept was going back then, we cannot really imagine where AI is going. Buckle up. But it will be spectacular.    *Back then minimum wage was $0.75/hr. Thus, a TV cost more than eight weeks' wages. ------------------------- 
Post a Comment
Read more

Principles of Insufficiency and Sufficiency

   The principles we use but don't know it.  1.      Introduction . Every field, scientific or otherwise, rests on foundational principles—think buoyancy, behavior, or democracy. Here, we explore a unique subset: principles modified by "insufficiency" and "sufficiency." While you may never have heard of them, you use them often. These terms frame principles that blend theory, practicality, and aspiration, by offering distinct perspectives. Insufficiency often implies inaction unless justified, while sufficiency suggests something exists or must be done. We’ll examine key examples and introduce a new principle with potential significance. As a principle of principles of these is that something or some action is not done enough while others may be done too much. The first six (§2-6) of our principles are in the literature, and you can easily search them online. The others are relatively new, but fit the concepts in the real world. At times, these pri...
Post a Comment
Read more