There are 2 strategies for the exchange of gifts.

1. strategy is evaluating the gift for its practical value.
2. strategy is evaluating the gift for its socially perceived / implied value.

Lets say a few thousand years ago a hunter would receive a great new spear. Now he can hunt 10%  more and is more likely to become the alpha male in his group.

On the other side, if a female at this time was to receive a better knife, she might have been able to increase the amount of food she could gather by 3%. The amount of food gathered is a very bad indicator of the alpha position for a female, because it is an extremely time-outcome efficient method (compared to hunting). It would not have made any noticeable effect.

What was more likely effecting the position of a female within the group was the possession of rare goods. Goods which displayed the strong affection of the giver, or who’s possession was desired by the group in general.

This two tendencies are very well exhibited in stereotypical gifts for the sexes. The women get jewelries and the men get… well pretty hard to give a gift to a man… a tie! You can’t go wrong with the 20th tie you hand out to your father.

Jewelery as a gift can bring joy to the receiver in two mayor ways.

1. The receiver values the token of affection because it took the giver time and resources to acquire the present
2. The receiver values the increase in social recognition/status, due to the monetary value.

A new driller, laptop, smart phone can bring joy to the receiver just in one way:

1. more holes in all walls, shorter loading times of porn websites, porn on the go = you can do cool things with it = practical

Why men don’t have any idea why the crazy chick they are married to does not like the new vacuum? I mean, for fucking heavens sake, she is vacuuming all the time and if she does not like it, with this new vacuum she can get it done faster…

Because men give gifts they like: practical, efficient, effective. Well, females, they kind of don’t give a fuck about practicality: They want to see a man sweat while choosing the gift, spend more on it than on his stupid new power-drill and make sure she can show off with it to all her girlfriends.

How to choose gifts for the female members of our species, 4.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating