The high season of gifts is now upon us, and it is time to face a few uncomfortable truths: You do not know what most of the people on your list will actually enjoy. The majority of your gifts will be something of a failure. In fact, your whole concept of what makes a gift thoughtful - of what will be appreciated - is almost certainly wrong. There is, however, good news: You can do better, and it’s not that hard. First, though, consider the evidence of our gifting flops. When polled, almost half of all Americans predict they will be disappointed enough to return a holiday gift, and perhaps several. An American Express survey found that roughly a third of people admitted to re-gifting - to wrapping up those scented candles from last season and sending them to Aunt Susan.