Adam smith said that we all want to be praised, but not praiseworthy. What does this candle have to do with my shirt? And you're giving me a compliment and a gift. Aren't they substitutes? I guess that's what i'm getting to. But even though giving somebody a gift is an indirect way of saying that you think highly of them, i really don't think they're the same thing.
Also: do we overestimate or underestimate our significance in other people’s lives?