When is a Gift, Not a Gift?

The perils of Gift-Giving in a Mimetic Society, and How to Give Gifts That Truly Bring Joy

A depiction of a scene from the movie “Dune”

“When is a gift, not a gift?” asks a character in the movie Dune. House Atreides has been ‘gifted’ with control of the planet Arrakis, but as soon as they get there they realize that the entire operation has been sabotaged. The ‘gift’ given at the start of the story…