“Be benevolent as long as you live! What has come out of the storeroom cannot return.”
—Ptahhotep
There’s no sense in keeping locked away in a storeroom what should be used and enjoyed! Where Justice is concerned with giving what someone is owed, Generosity is all about giving above and beyond. Aristotle distinguishes them this way: “Those who give are called liberal [a near-synonym for generous], but those who do not take are praised not for liberality but quite as much for justice; and those who take are not praised at all.” Aristotle also says that the generous person carries “giving too far, so as to leave himself less than his due; because it is in the nature of the liberal man not to regard his own interest.”
In addition to Aristotle, both the Bible and the Qur’an are full of exhortations toward generosity—both emphasizing the rewards and blessings that come of being generous. And don’t think generosity applies simply to material possessions—we are all rich in something! Regardless of how much you have, we are all called by virtue to give freely. That is why it is important to:
Generosity has a lot to do with our mindsets. Cultivating a belief that there is “plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody” is an Abundance Mindset. This idea opposes the idea of that there isn’t enough to go around, that if I give it away it might run out! This pairs with another belief—you are more likely to receive good things if you give of what you have, and generosity often returns to the giver. While holding tight to what we have out of fear there isn’t enough opposes Generosity as Greed or Stinginess, giving everything you have away thoughtlessly without care runs in opposition to Generosity. Intentions matter! It is better to be a cheerful giver than to give reluctantly or just because you think it’s the right thing to do. As with all virtue, we may have to practice giving generously until it’s something we really do want to do, but the goal should be that our heart cheerfully comes to align with our actions. Or we may need to practice thinking first to see if we are being wasteful.
We have so much more to give than material things—time, energy, love, kindness, mercy, encouragement, hospitality, and more! Indeed, many of what we might call the “warm and fuzzy” offshoot virtues, like kindness or mercy or hospitality, spring out of genuine generosity. In this way, too, they are kept from feeling shallow or flat. True kindness comes from an intentional disposition of giving above and beyond what is deserved—I am able to be kind to my frustrating deskmate or next-door neighbor because I have a rooted and internal generosity of spirit. From the deep well of generosity in the virtuous person springs all that is warm and welcoming.
“Liberality of an act depends not upon the number of things given but upon the disposition of the giver.”
Let’s see what our exemplars of generosity—Bishop Muriel, Harriet Tubman, and Ebenezer Scrooge— have to say about how to put this virtue into practice:
Bishop Muriel (in Les Miserables) exemplifies a particularly special thing a person can give: mercy. Where justice holds you to what you own, mercy is giving good things that people don’t deserve. While it is good to give freely of anything you have, perhaps the highest (and hardest) form of generosity is giving mercy where punishment is deserved, grace where debt is owned, and forgiveness where harm has been done. Look at the lives of our other two exemplars to see how they also intentionally practiced generosity—Harriet Tubman giving of her life and safety, while Ebenezer exemplifies a generous change in heart. Here’s a short (non-comprehensive) list of what generous people pursue (for more specific ideas and practices, refer to our Practices to Cultivate Generosity section in the Virtues Field Guide):
- Generous people give freely of their money and material resources.
- Generous people give freely from their emotional and mental resources.
- Generous people live out of an abundance mindset.
- Generous people give out of a pure heart, knowing that intentions matter more than amounts.
- Generous people are merciful.
Here is a LESS THAN 5-minute video giving an overview of Generosity—watch with your littles to help them join the conversation!
Our Virtues Field Guide (linked in our Parent Portal) dives deep into virtue—read the section on Generosity on pages 30-35! And purchase the virtues posters here to help encourage you on your journey toward the good, true, and beautiful each day!
