What was a Christmas, wedding, birthday or even Elvis without the gift?

sad but true, I would say ... many people feel humiliated or dwarfed by generosity and do bite the hand that feeds them ... which makes it hard for the givers to stick to their friendly nature sometimes ...

The quotation is from an Essay by Emerson entitled, "Gifts." Here is the paragraph from which it is taken:

The law of benefits is a difficult channel, which requires
careful sailing, or rude boats. It is not the office of
a man to receive gifts. How dare you give them? We wish
to be self-sustained. We do not quite forgive a giver. The
hand that feeds us is in some danger of being bitten. We
can receive anything from love, for that is a way of receiving
it from ourselves; but not from any one who assumes
to bestow. We sometimes hate the meat which we
eat, because there seems something of degrading dependence
in living by it:—

“Brother, if Jove to thee a present make,
Take heed that from his hands thou nothing take.”

(http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/rw-emerson/essays_rwe.pdf)

The entire essay is only four pages. Yet I wonder if anyone will bother to read four pages to better understand Emerson's point. Additionally, is it really necessary to load the forum with multiple posts and emoticons on a single topic just to make your presence known? In the interests of economy and respect wouldn't it be better to make your point clearly, then leave room for others to reply? "The empty drum rings loudest," according to the proverb.

Emerson argues self reliance is the source of man's dignity. A gift implies the superiority of the giver. He or she is self-reliant and the recipient of the gift is not. Therefore the gift may not be received as a kind benefit, but as an insult. We should think twice before we presume to give, Emerson contends.

Bit of a time warp there, Daveski. Both ELP and Emerson have their detractors: "John Kelman of All About Jazz noted that an 'overbearing sense of self-importance turned ELP from one of the 1970's most exciting new groups into the definition of masturbatory excess and self-aggrandizement in only a few short years.'" Ouch!

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerson,_Lake_%26_Palmer)

I saw Manchester once. I had an unmentionable affliction for two months.