I liked the quote, "we don't trade with things, we trade with people." It made me think that the Kungs have an interesting way of thinking. Naive is what most westerners would say. Or at least that way of thinking would be naive in the West's culture. In the West there is a common belief that you have to watch out for your own interests because no one else will. Imagine living in a culture where everyone does right by each other and you don't even have to think about running the risk of getting short-changed. A society that is reminiscent of simpler times.
I also thought that the "gifts of knowledge" was interesting. I think we have all had or known that one teacher who really inspired their students. You know, the teacher that the whole school adored. Thinking back, though, I doubt that the teacher made extra money for being the favorite but instead they taught and gave a part of themselves to their students as a gift. I agree with the article that the teachers who teach as a gift are usually loved more than those teachers who earn a big salary. Maybe this is because students feel that the teacher who makes less money gives more of themselves since they receive less monetary compensation.
The idea that gifts can be used as weapons is a new concept to me. I really think the quote from the article summed it up best when they said, "a present can be surprisingly potent thing, as dangerous in the hands of the ignorant as it is useful in the hands of the wise." Everything is all that you make of it. So the same can be said about gifts. Gifts can be a way to stabilize friendships or fight wars. I just go back to the Symbolic Interactionist theory; everything is about the meanings placed behind the symbols.
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