WILLING EXCHANGES

The cost of being involved in an exchange is usually equal for both parties to the exchange. You give money, for example, and you gain something of value relevant to the amount of money you gave. It is very rare that someone would willingly engage in an exchange in which they receive something of significantly less value than what they gave. Nonetheless, some may choose to do so. Parents rarely receive equal value from their children. Yet, they willingly sacrifice, and sometimes do the unthinkable, in order to meet their children's needs. When you know that you are engaged in an uneven exchange in which you gain significantly more than you are capable of giving, the least you should do is give an expression of gratitude. And when you know that you are engaged in an exchange in which you are giving significantly more than you gain, you must decide that the exchange is being done freely and willingly, without expectation of a return.