Dear Miss Manners: We live in a small beach community. Five years ago, we met a lovely couple who have a vacation home across the street. We are all semiretired. They are both gourmet chefs and ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’m not well-off, and my friend is. She loves eating at nice restaurants. I can’t afford those, so I usually take her out for hamburgers. She knows my financial circumstances. I am ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Our neighbors of over 10 years suddenly and surprisingly invited us to their home for dinner. In all those years, we were casually friendly, but shared nothing more than short ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A pair of neighbors hosted my wife and me for an impromptu dinner, to which we contributed a nice salad. The food was fine, the apartment lovely. We have sent them a thank-you note.

Dear Miss Manners: I’m not well-off, and my friend is. She loves eating at nice restaurants. I can’t afford those, so I usually take her out for hamburgers. She knows my financial circumstances. I am ...

Reciprocity (give-and-take exchange) is essential for successful human interactions. Feeling motivated to return a favor (and feeling owed for a favor) drives social behavior, personal interaction, ...