The Rule of Reciprocation Enforces Uninvited Debts

The The Rule of Reciprocation is so powerful that it can make us feel indebted by unexpected and uninvited favors. Because there is a general social disapproval for someone who fails to reciprocate a favor, it's possible for others to force a feeling of indebtedness on us by giving us an uninvited favor.

This exploits the core of the rule of reciprocation. The rule was established to encourage people to initiate reciprocal relationships without the fear of loss. However, this feature can be used against us. The rule states that if someone gives us a favor, we must return it. It does not, however, require that we have requested the favor in the first place.