Just over five thousand users of dating website FreeDating.co.uk were polled a few years back,
What was a "bad" gift, in the pollsters' minds? Some examples included, "cooking utensils, cleaning products, and a sticky tape dispenser".
Interestingly, highly educated women and women working in the legal profession had even higher requirements, with two thirds of respondents in those categories stating they'd dump their partner for poor present choices.
What about you? Would you end a relationship over a bad holiday gift? Have you ever received a gift that you deemed in poor taste and ended a relationship because of it? What did you get?
Related: Romantic Stocking Stuffers, Inexpensive Holiday Gift Ideas, Holiday Gift Ideas for Dating Couples.
Actually there was a fabulous ad about this – take a look at the link. Hilarious! http://asklillie.wordpress.com/2008/12/13/man-behaving-badly-send-him-to-the-doghouse/
I think the difference between the answers given by men and women reflects a bit of a double standard. More specifically, I think generally when a woman gets a man a “poor” gift, it’s assumed she tried her best and put thought into it, but if a man does the same it can be more easily assumed that the gift isn’t good because the man put no thought into it. When, in reality, the reason for anyone giving anyone a gift the person doesn’t care for is probably just because they were too subtle about indicating what kinds of things they want.
I definitely wouldn’t break up with a woman just because she got me a gift I didn’t like; but if I felt like she didn’t care enough to put some thought into it, I would take a long look at the relationship. I think women are right to do this too, when the gift a man gets her shows no thought (like a tape dispenser? Wth? That says, “I couldn’t be bothered to go out of the office so I stole you something worth $5 that was literally at arm’s reach”), but I also think that it can be easier for people to confuse a man’s (vs. a woman’s) simple ignorance of what would be a “good” gift with a lack of thoughtfulness.
After 20 years of marriage and nary a holiday gift; yeah, I dumped him. The Ogre thought that a plane trip to stay at his mother’s for Christmas was a good gift. HuH?
The choices of gift resembles the kind of thinking they have for their partner. It can also happen that people are not able to chose gifts for their partner to express their feelings.
Look at the polled group: they’re on a dating website. That says it all.
It’s interesting that the act of gift giving creates such stress and heartbreak. In today’s living out loud society, it seems that it would be somewhat easier to buy a present for someone. People tend to speak very openly about their likes and tastes on Facebook, Twitter and especially, Pinterest.
As a MatchMaster with FindYourPlusOne.com, I offer the following advice to members.
One way to avoid the dreaded gift giving peril would be to ask your significant other to create a Wish List or Wish Board on Pinterest and send them a link. This board can be curated as the relationship goes on and it gives the other person the opportunity to have a range of ideas to choose from for Christmas, birthdays, holidays and other special occasions.
Gift giving shouldn’t be any indicator of one’s love for another. It truly should be the thought that counts. However, since thoughts can’t be wrapped, make it easier on your Plus One and leave a trail of breadcrumbs to the gifts that you want most.
Depends on if it was the best they could do or not.