Blog: Why We Give Gifts — From Ancient China to the Present Day

Have you ever received a gift that you did not like? Economics professor Li Jingkui notes that when there is a mismatch between the gift and its recipient, the giver and receiver suffer a “deadweight loss.” But still, many of us continue to exchange gifts. After much thought and research, Li found the answer for such persistent human behavior in a Maori myth — you give a part of yourself along with your gift, which is something more valuable than the gift itself.