The art of the gift

The art of gift giving is to give without any attachment. No reciprocity, no status, no thank you in return, no warm feeling of doing something worthwhile–nothing. Why? While it is difficult to truly give a gift and have no attachment, it is even more difficult for the receiver not to feel the social pressure to pass it along. The community will then grow closer together as gifts are passed along freely. The irony is that for thousands of years, tribes were structured around this concept and thrived. Which teaches us that this pursuit of more should cause us to pause. More isn’t the answer. Since appetites tend to grow, not shrink. The answer isn’t the opposite of less. The answer is to give. Give your time, talents, resources, attention, emotional labor…as a result bring the community together.