Andrew Mitchell MP
Best gift I’ve given: to my family, a Welsh Springer spaniel, Molly, winner of Westminster Dog of the Year 2009. Worst I’ve received: a DIY colonic irrigation kit.
Barbara Sahakian
The best gifts are of the heart or mind. Examples are: my father William Sahakian dedicating his book to me; Susan and Les Iversen lending their Devon cottage to us so Trevor Robbins and I could take our two young children on holiday; my friends Eileen Joyce and Mike Laffan taking my daughter Miranda into their home last summer while she was working in London and treating her like she was their daughter; my friend Robert Bush giving us one of his best drawings; my daughters Jacqueline and Miranda attending my Cambridge Science Festival Lectures and supporting my career as a woman neuroscientist; my mother Mabel Sahakian who gave me her diamond ring, which serves as a daily reminder of the unconditional love I received from her—a love which has helped to promote resilience throughout my life.
I do not have a "worst" gift, as I do not expect much from a "bought" gift. As a clinical psychologist, I cannot help but reflect on getting a gift that I will not use or a book on a topic that I have little or no interest in reading. While I know that people frequently cannot distinguish between buying a gift for themselves and a gift for another person, this "lack of theory of mind in gift buying" is always somewhat disturbing. It leaves you wondering, "Does that person really know me at all?"
More: Jemima Khan, Jon Snow and others tell Prospect about their best presents—and the worst—here
Best gift I’ve given: to my family, a Welsh Springer spaniel, Molly, winner of Westminster Dog of the Year 2009. Worst I’ve received: a DIY colonic irrigation kit.
Barbara Sahakian
The best gifts are of the heart or mind. Examples are: my father William Sahakian dedicating his book to me; Susan and Les Iversen lending their Devon cottage to us so Trevor Robbins and I could take our two young children on holiday; my friends Eileen Joyce and Mike Laffan taking my daughter Miranda into their home last summer while she was working in London and treating her like she was their daughter; my friend Robert Bush giving us one of his best drawings; my daughters Jacqueline and Miranda attending my Cambridge Science Festival Lectures and supporting my career as a woman neuroscientist; my mother Mabel Sahakian who gave me her diamond ring, which serves as a daily reminder of the unconditional love I received from her—a love which has helped to promote resilience throughout my life.
I do not have a "worst" gift, as I do not expect much from a "bought" gift. As a clinical psychologist, I cannot help but reflect on getting a gift that I will not use or a book on a topic that I have little or no interest in reading. While I know that people frequently cannot distinguish between buying a gift for themselves and a gift for another person, this "lack of theory of mind in gift buying" is always somewhat disturbing. It leaves you wondering, "Does that person really know me at all?"
More: Jemima Khan, Jon Snow and others tell Prospect about their best presents—and the worst—here
