I believe in having a personal philosophy of gift-giving.  Even if you work from suggestion lists created by the recipients, you should have some standards — in addition to price –for choosing from among the options.

As we draw ever closer to the Christmas shopping season (full disclosure: I finished my shopping last weekend), it's worth taking some time to think about your gift-giving philosophy.  To help you along, here's mine:

• The ideal gift is something that someone truly wants (whether he knows it or not) that he would never dream of buying for himself.
• A gift should always match the taste of the recipient, not the giver. 
• Gifts should be useful but not utilitarian.
• A gift should speak to the person the recipient wants to be.
• Gifts are not tools for changing what you don't like about someone.

Wjat are the basics of your philosophy?