Oh that is the most ridiculous thing ever. And mind you, I was raised to be thankful for any kind gesture and raise my own family to do the same. I do not support an attitude of entitlement at all. I'm very strict about such things in my home.
But this is not about entitlement. It's about gratitude, appreciation, and wishing people well during the holidays and how this effort by Apple is an epic fail at expressing any of these sentiments and seems like more self aggrandizement. It's quite disappointing and just perfectly rounds out the image Apple has been putting out there for 2016. (I don't mean to bash--I'm still a fan of their potential and hope they do much better in 2017).
From what I can see of the comments so far, people are critical of these gifts because they have more appreciation and generosity in their hearts for the people in their own lives who bust their butts to enrich their lives in various capacities, and are aghast that the management of a company as wealthy and successful as Apple has the gall to make such a tepid effort.
I do better by the dudes who pick up my recyclables than Apple. I can't imagine giving a weird looking t-shirt and funky poetic gibberish (that sounds like a New Age way to nag them to do their jobs better) to anyone who has served me in any capacity.
These shirts and credos look like the typical swag given away at promotional events rather than even a half hearted way to say thank you and wish happiness and good fortune during the holiday season to hardworking and good employees who helped build the huge money pile the executives are sitting on.
A simple card saying "Thank you for being a part of the Apple family. May you have a happy holiday and a wonderful new year. " would have suited the holidays better and left less room open for misinterpretation.
