Could You Swap the Name?

Before you send anything, ask: Could I swap in another person's name and still send this same thing?

If yes, it's generic — on your list, but not for them. If no, you've encoded something only this relationship contains.

That's the anyone test in one sentence. Research on gift specificity shows recipients feel the difference instantly, even when they can't articulate why.

A card passes when the image, words, or reference fail the swap — when only they would receive exactly this.

Read the full piece on the specificity effect.

Photo by Polina Kovaleva via Pexels.