It kind of depends on how you are wired... Most people will tell you that if you are a giver and always giving and the people you give to never reciprocate, take advantage of you, etc... that you should stop giving so much unless and until you get it in return. This isn't horrible advice, but it might not help... and here's why...
IF you are giving and people take advantage of you, that is obviously bad for you. If you stop giving to them so much, they will either leave you OR they will start to appreciate you. IF they leave you, it will hurt... IF they start reciprocating, is that good? Did they become better people OR did they just see they need to do something to keep you giving to them so they can go back to normal? If you have to bribe a person to be nice, are they nice?
That's the normal scenario... but what if you, like me, are wired to be a natural giver? You don't give to get in return. You give to give. It makes you happy to give to people you care about, and even to strangers in need. But, you also need attention and care too... and when you don't get that you hurt... so people tell you to stop giving so much... but that doesn't make people start giving to you. Instead, now you are not only deprived of being cared for, you are repressing your natural instincts to give to others... and you hurt twice now.
Reciprocation gets a bad rap. It is usually described as transactional... as in, I love you so you must love me or it isn't fair... and our love must be equal or it isn't fair, and when I do something for you, you must do something for me of equal importance and pleasure... and so forth... but real reciprocation is nothing of the sort. You give because you care for someone, you give because you have more than you need or more in you and you feel like you will burst if you can't give to someone... you don't give because you want equivalent exchange. But, you are also human... you need to be cared for sometimes, you crave someone giving to you also. You aren't necessarily craving, requiring the same gift to you that you give to others... but you need something... and you don't need that gift to you to be because you gave to someone... you need a gift that is also freely given, because that other person also wants to give, needs to give, and wants to give specifically to you.
True reciprocation happens when two people give to each other because that is who they are, and they choose you to direct their gifts. They don't want anything in return and you don't want anything in return... but because you are giving to each other, you get what you need anyway... in both directions... and it is a beautiful thing (or at least I imagine it is).
People have it in them to be this... to do this... but so often they don't. And it's easy to get cynical, and also to feel like why am I giving so much and no one gives to me. Even if you don't want direct exchange of gifts... when you give all the time and receive barely anything or nothing, resentment can creep in... but I reiterate, it's not because you give and you explicitly want something in return... it's because your needs aren't being met. It really is that simple.
You can unconditionally give to others, and if even one of them gives something to you that you needed, then you will not have the resentment towards others who aren't giving. You will give because that is who you are and energized because someone else has given to you... and it will all work.
But it's kind of fantasy, since it is so hard to find this in the world. I have not found it.
