If the point of gift giving is to [...] And if it isn't? I'm sure many people don't ascribe to this particular theory of gifts as a universal truth. Also, gift

If the point of gift giving is to [...] And if it isn't? I'm sure many people don't ascribe to this particular theory of gifts as a universal truth. Also, gift giving often happens in an important, larger context, which is always different; gift giving at Christmas, for example, is hugely loaded depending on your background, your attitude toward the holiday, what significance you do or don't attach to it, this same set of attributes for every person you may want to give a gift to, and many other things. Wish lists can be considered impersonal, I can see that. Many people grew up with them, though, and in that case they may not alter a person's perspective of the gift at all. For Christmas in particular, when a whole lot of busy people are expected to give gifts to a whole lot of other busy people, finding the time and insight to get meaningful gifts for everyone involved can add to an already often stressful time.