Why might people dislike free gifts?

Why might people dislike free gifts? First, we may prefer relationships, which are equitable, in which giving and receiving are in balance. Then, too, we may suspect that the donor who apparently wants nothing in return is attempting to manipulate or use us in ways not clear at the moment.
Receiving aid may also have an effect on one’s level of self-esteem (Fisher, Nadler, & Whitcher-Alagna, 1982). Help from another may make one feel incompetent; that is, the recipient’s feelings might be, “I should have been able to do it myself.” When aid lowers recipients’ self-esteem, they are more likely to dislike the aid and the donor and to avoid seeking such help again. Fisher and Nadler (1974) found that when the donor is very similar to oneself, receiving aid is likely to reduce one’s self-esteem. Being tutored by a fellow student can be deflating; being tutored by an expert is not.