[mdoms]

> or they get some random garbage you don't want and call you ungrateful when you don't like it.

If you don't like a gift the etiquette is not to say "thanks I hate it" but to gratefully accept the gift and pretend it's awesome. Receiving a gift is not all about you, it's equally for the giver. Research shows there are huge benefits to giving gifts, so pretending you like it is a gift in itself.

[srtjstjsj]

That's the problem. Pretending to be grateful just encourages more waste of materials and effort, creating an Abilene Paradox. A card is better than a bad gift. In the long run, honesty creates better relationships than seething resentment toward a disrespectful gift giver.