A Problem of Giving and Receiving (A Thanksgiving/Xmas Special)

A Problem of Giving and Receiving (A Thanksgiving/Xmas Special)

Proximally, and for the most part, giving gratitude for something implies that a benefit of some sort was given to one which merits some sort of gracious re-mark.  Let's examine this act.  There seems to be a few conflicts.  The problematik goes as follows:

A)  Are we receiving and/or giving?

For example, if I were to give my friend Jose a benefit of some sort (a gift, a helping hand, a complement, etc.), the general assumption is that I am giving and he is receiving—am giving a benefit and he is receiving a benefit.

Looking deeper into this transaction, I am also receiving gratitude from him (expressed or otherwise), or receiving satisfaction for the gracious deed.  He, in turn is also giving through an acknowledgment or receipt of said benefit, or through an expressed show of gratitude (verbal or otherwise).  Although we can sense one act more than the opposite, there really is no possible way to place greater value to either act.  One can claim that the gift being given is more valuable than the receipt of a "thanks," for example, but there are some cases that the re-mark is more welcomed than the gift itself.  So no one is only giving or receiving.  It can be said, then, that perhaps one is giving and receiving.

However, it is known that we can't have opposing actions at the same time—we can't simultaneously be giving and receiving at the same time.  It is a logical impossibility because accepting both acts at the same time eliminates the very fabric of the meaning behind the terms.

If we are not giving or receiving and we are not giving and receiving, then giving and receiving is a figment of our imagination and we are neither giving nor receiving.  As some Buddhist practitioners would claim, neither exist.

But this too makes no sense since we obviously are doing something which we have called "giving" or "receiving."  Our common senses and conventions demand us to place a mark on the act in focus.

As it seems, the first premise A) shows that we neither: 1) give or receive; 2) give and receive; 3) give nor receive; 4) not give or receive.

This leads me to believe that the transaction of giving/receiving is incoherent.

B) What we are giving and receiving is also unclear. 

It is generally understood that what is presented in front of you at a certain moment is what you are giving or being thankful for.  If I give Memo a gift, he will in turn re-mark the act in some form.  But what is he really re-marking me for?  Is he re-marking me for the gift, for the intent, or for both the object and the intent?  If he is re-marking me for the gift, what particular part of the gift-giving gesture is he re-marking about?  If I would give Jelly a gift basket, is she re-marking for the entire basket, for the intention, for a particular object she enjoys inside the basket, for the timeliness of the basket (she happens to need something within the basket immediately)?  If one is grateful for a particular component of the gesture, then that re-mark is misleading because the thing in which you are re-marking about is out of focus.  Some would claim that it is all of those things combined that one is grateful for. However, how do we define "all of those things?"  The layers of connected things could go broader—"all those things" can be: all of the above, plus the fact that I was born, that I can breathe, that I have a hand to give her the gift with, the smell of the said gift, the atmosphere in which the gift was given, etc., etc.  At what point do we determine what it is that we include and exclude in our re-mark?  The chain of reasoning could go so broad that what you are re-marking about is suddenly lost in the immensity of inclusion.  Which makes re-marking futile because the thing you are remarking about is no longer in focus. Even if one can superficially define the parameters of what we are re-marking about…

C) What is the primary benefit that is worthy of "giving" or re-marking about?—what and why is it a benefit?

Where point A) is analyzing the transaction; point B) is focused on the object in transaction.  Point C) is now focusing on the reason that particular object in transaction is valued.

When I receive a gift from someone, one generally re-marks in some fashion.  But do we really know and can pin point what it is that gift is providing?  If I give Donovan a "Congratulations" basket of an assortment of fine deli products, is he remarking because he values the intent, the thing, the timeliness, or the conventions of re-marking—the common courtesy associated with the act? 

If the case is that the intent is re-mark worthy, what part of the intent is it that was valued?—was the intent-of-giving valuable or was the intent of receiving valuable?  If we think the "whole" intent is valuable, then what do we include in that wholeness?  If we follow this path, then we have a similar problem to that of B) above.  How can one determine that the intent one believes is achieved, is the one that was really given?  Perhaps my intention to give the fine deli products was a gesture of disposal.  Perhaps it was an act of unconditional love, perhaps both, perhaps, neither.  It is quite unlikely that the interpretation of the intent will be similar to both parties.  Hence, being re-mark-worthy based on valuing intent is sketchy.

If one would value the thing, what part of the thing are you valuing?  Is it the functionality of it?  Is it the aesthetic quality of it?  Is it a combination of these?  If the case is that a combination of qualities or characteristics of the thing is what you value, and not the "entire" thing, then you really don't value the thing, but rather a few details of the thing.  If you believe that you value the whole thing, then we return to our good friend problem B)—what do you include into the "whole thing?"  It seems as if valuing the thing is untenable as well.

If one values the timeliness of the act, then one needs to examine why it is that particular instance is worthy of valuing.  Is it valuable because of a thing, an intent, or a benefit?  If it is a thing or an intent, then B).  If it is a benefit, we need to examine what particular property of that said benefit one considers valuable.  In effect we will regress to a similar problem of B).

As you can imagine, finding value in the conventions will be faced with the same problem. 

A similar result can be exposed in analyzing that which one believes has value and is worthy of "giving."

Hence, finding that which is worthy is unclear and therefore not worthy of a re-mark.

D) The object that gives and receives is also unclear.

I would love to discuss the fine nuances of the problem of personhood or personal identity in much detail but I will spare the reader with this enduring metaphysical problem that has bogged down many great thinkers through the ages.  It is sufficient here to say that the participants who are involved in the act of giving/receiving a certain something of a perceived value or benefit is also in question and will inevitably face problem B).

The problematik provided leads me to believe that the act of giving/receiving a certain type of something of benefit or value (hereforth the "act") is flawed due to one primary, relentlesslessly undeniable problem: the problem of determination.  In this "act," the problematik exposes that: A) The action is undeterminable; B) the object in action is hazy and difficult to determine; C) The value or worth of the act is undeterminable; D) The subjects involved in the act are unclear and challenging to pin-point.  This leads me to believe that this act is untenable and incoherent.

In this holiday season, I am certain that of all us have or will come across the opportunity to participate in this custom of the "act" in some form.  Most of us will continue the act without any contemplation about the meaning of the act.  It is a convention deeply ingrained in our way of being. 

Nevertheless, these soulful seasons, where the opportunity for some level of spirituality or deeper contemplation is more prevalent, I encourage all of you to take the opportunity to examine your self and your actions in some deeper fashion.  Perhaps you may stumble upon this problematik and find a more cogent and comfortable meaning in it.

I wish all of you happy holidays.