--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some people give gifts in order to…" description: "\"Some people give gifts in order to bewilder, confuse, and manipulate their recipients.\" — Mallory Ortberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/mallory-ortberg-7200_gift_some-people-give-gifts-in-order-to-bewil_329914.jpg" --- # Some people give gifts in order to bewilder, confuse, and… ![“Some people give gifts in order to bewilder, confuse, and manipulate their recipients.” quote by Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/mallory-ortberg-7200_gift_some-people-give-gifts-in-order-to-bewil_329914.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/mallory-ortberg-7200_gift_some-people-give-gifts-in-order-to-bewil_329914.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/mallory-ortberg-7200_gift_some-people-give-gifts-in-order-to-bewil_329914.jpg) > “Some people give gifts in order to bewilder, confuse, and manipulate their recipients.” [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Some people give gifts to confuse and control the recipients. **In simple terms:** Gifts can be used as manipulation tools. Key Takeaway Beware of ulterior motives in gifting. Themes manipulation gift-giving psychology Mood skeptical reflective Type psychological social When to use this quote - personal relationships - marketing - politics Key Concepts control social engineering Questions to Reflect On - Why do people use gifts to manipulate? - How can you detect hidden agendas? A Different Perspective Not all gifts are sincere. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gift/) [Gifts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gifts/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Recipients](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recipients/) ## Related quotes > [“By nurturing other people's gifts you nurture your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/by-nurturing-other-people-s-gifts-you-nurture-your-own/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [Some people don't feel like they need to give anything back because it's like, "Oh, if you're famous, you can just keep giving, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willow-smith/some-people-don-t-feel-like-they-need-to-give-anything-back-because/) [Willow Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willow-smith/) > [I think that people should give gifts by really recognizing the spiritual worth of the person and their (the givers') own worth. You usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/i-think-that-people-should-give-gifts-by-really-recognizing-the/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Studies show that recipients of Section 8 vouchers have tended to choose moderately poor neighborhoods that were already on the decline, not low-poverty neighborhoods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/studies-show-that-recipients-of-section-8-vouchers-have-tended-to/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [In all of my work I'm trying to create a dialogue, in which I want to provoke the recipients, stimulate them to use their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/in-all-of-my-work-i-m-trying-to-create-a-dialogue-in-which-i-want-to/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [Social-impact partnerships address our moral responsibilities to ensure that social programs actually improve recipients' lives, and to do so in a fiscally prudent manner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-young/social-impact-partnerships-address-our-moral-responsibilities-to/) [Todd Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-young/) > [Fellows of colleges in the universities are in one sense the recipients of alms, because they receive funds which originally were of an eleemosynary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/fellows-of-colleges-in-the-universities-are-in-one-sense-the/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [Kidney donors don't have to be close relatives of recipients, but they do need to have the right blood type. 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He said he'd seen some of my work, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheridan-smith/i-did-say-i-don-t-feel-as-worthy-as-so-many-of-the-recipients-he-said/) [Sheridan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheridan-smith/) > [As a former recipient of these services I can honestly say that the overwhelming majority of TANF recipients are hard-working Americans who are down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-moore/as-a-former-recipient-of-these-services-i-can-honestly-say-that-the/) [Gwen Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-moore/) > [Centenarians are still living near their children and feel loved and the expectation to love. Instead of being mere recipients of care, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-buettner/centenarians-are-still-living-near-their-children-and-feel-loved-and/) [Dan Buettner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-buettner/) ## More by Mallory Ortberg > [Not wanting to give everyone in your life one of your kidneys is not the same thing as hoping they die of kidney failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/not-wanting-to-give-everyone-in-your-life-one-of-your-kidneys-is-not/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [I agree that biphobia is real, but I think it's absolutely worth considering that someone who "despises" having sex with her husband - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-agree-that-biphobia-is-real-but-i-think-it-s-absolutely-worth/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [If you get a dog, take care of your dog! You can just not have a dog if you don't feel like taking care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/if-you-get-a-dog-take-care-of-your-dog-you-can-just-not-have-a-dog-if/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [It is so tempting to return rudeness with rudeness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/it-is-so-tempting-to-return-rudeness-with-rudeness/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [I think that it's a great idea to have honest conversations about children before getting married. I also think it's impossible to promise someone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-think-that-it-s-a-great-idea-to-have-honest-conversations-about/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [Don't beat yourself up over what you dream about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/don-t-beat-yourself-up-over-what-you-dream-about/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [One of the glorious things about being a person in the world is that you don't have to worry about whether or not someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/one-of-the-glorious-things-about-being-a-person-in-the-world-is-that/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [You need to be able to express your resentment and sense of loss in a way that doesn't damage your partner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/you-need-to-be-able-to-express-your-resentment-and-sense-of-loss-in-a/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [Unlike celibacy, which people choose, asexuality is an intrinsic part of who we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/unlike-celibacy-which-people-choose-asexuality-is-an-intrinsic-part/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [The mere idea of asking a family member if they intentionally stopped sending me an annual bonus makes me feel like breaking out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/the-mere-idea-of-asking-a-family-member-if-they-intentionally-stopped/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [You have a right to be treated professionally at work, and it's your supervisor's job to make sure all their employees can perform their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/you-have-a-right-to-be-treated-professionally-at-work-and-it-s-your/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [We are all going to die, sometimes even in the middle of a lease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/we-are-all-going-to-die-sometimes-even-in-the-middle-of-a-lease/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [o one is right when it comes to destination weddings. It’s a big ask, requesting people take time off work and fly off to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/o-one-is-right-when-it-comes-to-destination-weddings-it-s-a-big-ask/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [I love the art history ones because it's so little work for me. There's so many paintings that when I look at them, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-love-the-art-history-ones-because-it-s-so-little-work-for-me-there/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [You have a wonderful opportunity here to not care about something that doesn’t matter to you. Please don’t miss out on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/you-have-a-wonderful-opportunity-here-to-not-care-about-something/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) [Explore all 93 Mallory Ortberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) ## More Gift quotes > [Here I am, 11 years old, and these grown men have to give it everything they have to beat me. In one part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karch-kiraly/here-i-am-11-years-old-and-these-grown-men-have-to-give-it-everything/) [Karch Kiraly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karch-kiraly/) > [“The power of imagination is strongest in the place of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-power-of-imagination-is-strongest-in-the-place-of-solitude/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [The greatest gift you can give to those around you is honesty. Sometimes honest words may sting the heart, but dishonesty pierces deep into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/the-greatest-gift-you-can-give-to-those-around-you-is-honesty/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [MOM,DAD YOU'RE THE BEST GIFT I EVER HAD.THERE'S NO ONE WILL BE LIKE YOU.THANKS GOD FOR THESE PRECIOUS GIFT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ottoe/mom-dad-you-re-the-best-gift-i-ever-had-there-s-no-one-will-be-like/) Ottoe > [By the gift of God, WWE fell into my lap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-brooke/by-the-gift-of-god-wwe-fell-into-my-lap/) [Dana Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-brooke/) > [Here is your third gift from Me once again..I had a fourth gift it was about me making a video telling you how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilbear/here-is-your-third-gift-from-me-once-again-i-had-a-fourth-gift-it-was/) [LilBear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilbear/) > [“Children give terrible gifts because they are poor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-delaney/children-give-terrible-gifts-because-they-are-poor/) [Rob Delaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-delaney/) > [What a gift it would be if every child in the country could hear a professional orchestra at least once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/what-a-gift-it-would-be-if-every-child-in-the-country-could-hear-a/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Being able to scream at the top of my lungs in front of people is very therapeutic. It is a great gift for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/being-able-to-scream-at-the-top-of-my-lungs-in-front-of-people-is/) [Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/) > [“Falling in love is easy. Fools fall in love all the time. Staying in love is the test of time and the gift you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-murphy/falling-in-love-is-easy-fools-fall-in-love-all-the-time-staying-in/) [James A. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-murphy/) > [A woman who is careful with her words is a gift to all who know her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/a-woman-who-is-careful-with-her-words-is-a-gift-to-all-who-know-her/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [“I believe that our world was created with a sense of order. For every loss, there's a gain. Sometimes we're so blinded by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-macomber/i-believe-that-our-world-was-created-with-a-sense-of-order-for-every/) [Debbie Macomber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-macomber/) > [Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/love-cannot-be-had-for-the-asking-it-comes-only-as-a-gift-from-the/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [“It is the gift of stories that most repays life among settled people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-michael-pyle/it-is-the-gift-of-stories-that-most-repays-life-among-settled-people/) [Robert Michael Pyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-michael-pyle/) [Browse all 4,269 Gift quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gift/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some people give gifts in order to bewilder, confuse, and manipulate their recipients.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mallory Ortberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/some-people-give-gifts-in-order-to-bewilder-confuse-and-manipulate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Gift" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/some-people-give-gifts-in-order-to-bewilder-confuse-and-manipulate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/mallory-ortberg-7200_gift_some-people-give-gifts-in-order-to-bewil_329914.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/mallory-ortberg-7200_gift_some-people-give-gifts-in-order-to-bewil_329914.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/mallory-ortberg-7200_gift_some-people-give-gifts-in-order-to-bewil_329914.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Some people give gifts in order to bewilder, confuse, and manipulate their recipients.” — Mallory Ortberg", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mallory Ortberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Some people give gifts in order...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/some-people-give-gifts-in-order-to-bewilder-confuse-and-manipulate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/some-people-give-gifts-in-order-to-bewilder-confuse-and-manipulate/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```