I figure it’s about 50-50 for me. People buy some ridiculous things as gifts, mostly out of desperation to buy something.
These come in several categories:
- WTF: the giver is clueless or even malicious
- Other people’s aspirations: gifts they think will make you a different, “better”, person
- Meh: no explanation necessary
- Hmm: seems like a good idea, just not for you
I don’t ignore, re-gift or discard any gifts, at least not immediately. But it’s extremely rare to satisfy me with a gift. It only happens when they know exactly what I’d have purchased myself in near future or if the person behind the gift means so much to me. Other than that, I prefer to not receive any gifts at all.