Therootoftheword‘generous’isintheLatinwordgenus,meaningbirth,andgenerosus,meaning“ofnoblebirth”.Itispossible,then,thatthewordmirrorssomesortofcustomaryobligationtowardsthoselesswealthy,andanaspectofcaringfortheindividualswhoneedassistance,essentiallyinlightofthefactthatyoucan,andhenceoughtto,helpthem.Generositythen,inageneralsense,isone’sabilitytogiveaway-butthatstatementdoesnothelpexplainthenuancesofgenerosity.Itisanunselfishactofgivingawaythingsthatmaybedeartouswithnoexpectationsofanythinginreturn.Generosityisanimportanttraittotryandemulatewithinourselvesbecauseitencouragesgrowthwithinanindividual,andsimultaneouslyhelpsusfosterafeelingofharmonyinthecommunityweareapartof.Herearesomeprinciplesofgenerositytohelpusunderstandtheconceptalittlebetter,andultimatelyapplyitinourownlivestohavemorefulfillinglifeexperiences:GenerosityisVirtuousAvirtueisatraitinanindividualoraqualityofcharacterthat,initspresenceoruponitsadoption,leadsanindividualtomakebetterandmoresensiblechoicesandachieveagoodlife.Avirtueisabalancebetweentwoextremebehaviours,enablingtheindividualtocreatebalanceintheirownlives.Generosityisavirtuebecauseithelpsusstrikeabalancebetweenbeingamiserorbeingaspendthrift.Butanotherprerequisitetoatraitbeingconsideredavirtueisthemoralintentbehinditthebehaviouritresultsin.Ifwegiveawaymoneyoutofguiltfromourpastactions,orinordertoenjoytheprestigeinsocietythatoftencomeswithgenerousness,tofixamistakeortocompensateforawrong-doing,withthehopeorexpectationofarewardorreciprocationofthehelpinthefuture,orwiththeideaofbeingabletoexertinfluence,orfulfilapastobligation,oroutofadesireofacknowledgement,oroutofself-interest,theactofapparent“generosity”isnotvirtuous.Thevirtuousnessofgenerosityliesintheideaofgivingtoanotherpersonsomethingthatbelongstoyouwithoutobligationorexpectationofareturnonthe“investment”,simplyasanactoffreedomthatyouhavechosentodo.Anotheraspectofgenerositybeingvirtuous,assomewouldargue,isknowinghowtouseyourmonetaryresourcesormaterialpossessionsproportionately:notjustthoughtlesscharitablegivingbeyondwhatisrequiredorcustomarybut,rather,“mindfulgiving”thatinvolvesgivingtothecorrectpeople,intherequiredamounts,fortherightreasons,andattherighttimes.Hence,thereisacertainamountofthought,genuineintrospection,andassessmentofthesituation,thatneedstobegiveninorderforanactofgivingtobeconsideredanactofgenerosity.GenerosityisNotGaugeableGenerositycannotbeevaluatedonhowtangiblybiganactofgenerosityis,neithercanthemonetaryinputintotheactbeabasisofjudgementifoneactofgenerosityisbiggerthantheother,neithercanthematerialisticlossofthegiverorthegainofthereceiverdeterminethevalueofgenerosity.Howmuchyoucangivemeansverylittle,sinceevenpeopleofmodestmeansaswellasthosewithgreatwealth,canbothexercisegenerosityinequalstanding.Althoughgenerosityisoftenconsideredintermsofmoneyandmaterialisticobjects,italsoinvolvesanythingthatishelpfulandhelpscontributetootherindividuals’life:- givingsomeonetimeandattention,extendingacertaindegreeofrespect,treatingsomeonewithbasiccourtesy,complimentingsomeoneontheirpositivetraitsorthethingsthatmakethemproud,beingasourceofencouragementtothosearoundyou,spursomeone’shope,welcominglaughter,applaudingsomeone’sefforts,beinghospitableandkind,beofservicetoyourcommunity,andforgivenessforthosewhotrulyrealisetheirmistakes-allofwhichmayhavegreatervaluethanmoney.Voluntaryservicetoonescommunityandprofessionextendedbyanindividualwillingly,withoutpromptingisgenerositytoo.Butvoluntaryservicethatismandatory,orrequiredbylawwouldnotbeconsideredgenerosityaseventhoughitisanactofkindnessandindividualsdon’treallyreceiveanythinginreturn,asitisdoneoutofcompulsion.Simplysmilingatsomeonecouldbeconsideredanactofvirtue.Findingwaystocontributetoanotherpersonslifeinitselfcouldbeanactofgenerosity.Beingabletocreateanewsmileforthemtopayitforwardcountstoo.Generosityisafunctionofculture;theenvironmentofupbringingfactorsintogenerosity.AgraduatestudentatoneofourSouthDakotauniversities,afewyearsago,conductedacomparativestudyofgenerosityasatraitamongyoungNativeAmericanandCaucasianboys,analysingtheresponsesofthesetwogroupsofboysonreceivingagiftoftwocandies.Inboththegroups,theyoungstersputthefirstcandyintheirmouths,asonemighthaveexpectedfromboyswhoareusuallyveryattractedtocandiesandsweets.What thetwogroupsofboystothesecondcandydisplaysthedeepculturaldifferencesinthelikelihoodofanindividualfromacertainculturalcontextengagingingenerosity,andregardingthevalueandpurposeofmaterialpossessions:1)TheNativeAmericanboyshandedtheextracandytoa childstandingnearby,whodidnothaveone. Thisisanexpressionoftheculturalprincipletheyhaveinternalizedasaresultoftheculturetheybelongto,thatthepurposeofpossessionsandmaterialobjectsistosharethemwithothers.2)TheWhiteboystooktheirsecondcandyandputitintheirpocket,probablysavingitsothattheycanenjoyitlater. Thisalsoexpressesaculturalprinciple,eachforthemselves.Culturaldifferencesstronglyimpacthowgenerosityisinculcatedinanindividual.NativeAmericansandalotofAsiancountriestendtofunctionon“Collectivistic”modelswherethecommunityandlookingoutforeachotherisencouraged,thecentralideologybeingthecommunityisbetterequippedtoprovideforeveryonethanoneindividualforthemselves.Hence,individualstendtobemoregenerous,becausetheyknowthecommunityhastheirback.Westerncountries,ontheotherhand,tendtohaveamore“Individualistic”societalstructure,wheretheindividuallooksoutforthemselfalone.Generosity,inthatcase,takealotmoreinternalmotivationtomanifestitselfintoanactualactofGenerosity.Thatbeingsaid,theimmediateenvironmentachildisraisedinhasanequal,ifnotgreater,influenceonthekindofadulttheygrowinto.AnIndividualbelongingtoacollectivisticculture,yetbelongingtoanenvironmentthatencouragesthechildtothinkofthemselvesfirstwillgrowintoanindividualreluctanttobegenerous.Similarly,anindividualraisedinanIndividualisticculturebutraisedbyimmediatefamilymemberstobecompassionatetotheplightofotherswillbemorelikelytobemoregenerous.Keepinmind,the“flip”sideAllidealshaveaflipsideor,allthemoretypically,two:onefor“excess”andonefornot“enough”.Inthecaseofgenerosity,thesetwoare“hoarding”,whichisntbeinggenerousenoughorstockingwealth/materialforthemselfortakinganexcess,and“wasteful”,whichisgivingalotwhenitisntrequired.Neither“hoarding”nor“wasteful”areappealingcharacteristicsand,assoanequilibriumneedstobereached.Forstrikingthatbalanceintermsofgenerosity,theequilibriumliesinzeroinginontherequirementsofthosetowhomyouaregiving.Assumingyougivewhatyoucanandmanagetoaddresstheirrequirements,itwillbeabalanceingenerosity.Nonetheless,theexactequilibriumpointisuptotheindividualsinvolved.Thegiverassessesboth,howmuchtheycangive,andhowmuchthereceiverneeds.Iftheyhavemorethanthereceiverneeds,theyaccordinglyadjusthowmuchtheycanbeartopartwithatthemomentandreservetheexcessforsomeoneelse,whereaswhenthereceiverneedsmorethanwhattheycanaffordtogoveaway,theytrytheirbesttohelpthemwithintheirmeans.Generosityshouldnotvergeintoself-sacrificeGenerosityisavirtue,henceitisawaytoenrichourlivesandofthosearoundus.Andweshouldalwaystrytohelpwheneverwecan,butatthesametime,itisalsoimportanttorememberthatgenerosityshouldnotleadtoapointwhereyouaresacrificingyourhappinessforthatofothers.Anemptycupcannotpouroutwater,andanunhappypersoncannothelpothers.Itisimportantthatwetakecareofourselves,makesurewehaveenoughtosustainourselves,andthenextendourgenerositytootherstoensuretheyhaveenoughtoo.PrinciplesofGenerosityinBuddhistTeachingsBuddhistteachingsandtextsexploretheconceptofgenerosityasdāna.Thisconceptprogressesinfoursuccessivestages:Thegenerosityofmaterialthings(theonewearemostfamiliarwith),Thegenerosityoffreedomfromfear,Thegenerosityofspiritualteachingwhichentailsofferingcomfort,concernandadvicetosupportother’spsychologicalandemotionalwell-being,andThegenerosityoflove.Aquickrun-down,orRecap:1.GenerosityisnotaboutpersonalgainItisparticularlyimportanttoensurethatyouneverexploitothersforpersonalgain,norshoulditbedoneforimmoralreasons.Evenifyoudon’tgainmonetaryreturn,ifyouractofgenerosityisdonetogetacclaimorpraiseitischarity,notgenerosity.2.Giveonlyenoughorasmuchisneededforittobeameaningfulandusefulactofgenerosity,andgivetopeoplewhoyouthinkwilluseitsensibly,notthosewhowilluseitforwrongreasons.Someonewhogiveswithoutthinkingaboutwhetherthemoneywillbespentontheactualwell-beingofthereceivermaystillbeconsideredtobegenerous,butisittrulyanactofgenerosity?Orisitgivingawaysimplytosootheone’sconscience?Givinggenerouslyisabouthelpingtomeettheneedsofothers.Knowingthatsomeoneisgoingtospendthemoneyonalcoholordrugsisnothelpingtomeettheirneeds,infactthisdoesmoreharmthangood.Theentirepointofgenerosityistoimprovethequalityoflifeforeveryonethatwecanhelp.3.Don’tgiveawaymorethanyoucan,itisimportanttobeabletomeetyourownneedssothatyoudon’thavetodependonsomeoneelse’sgenerosity.Itisessentialtonotgiveawaysomuchthatyouendupenrichingsomeoneelse,butatyourexpense.4.BegratefulinacceptingthegiftsofothersextendtoyouWhileweshouldalwaysexpressourgratitudewhileacceptinggiftsfromothers,wedoneedtofirstensurewhetherornottheycanaffordthegift.Justlikeitisimportanttomakesurewehaveenoughforourselvesbeforewegive,andwhenwereceiveweshouldensurethatthegiverisnotoverworkingthemselfbeyondtheirmeanstohelpus.5.WhileGenerosityistoanextenttheresultofculturalupbringing,wecanalwaystrainourselvestobemoregenerousBeingraisedinanIndividualisticcultureisnoexcusetonotbegenerous.HumanCompassionisinnate.Wecanalwayslearntobekindertowardsourfellowcitizensonearth.6.Generosityshouldbecarriedoutwithapositiveoutlook.Actsofgenerosityshouldnotbecarriedoutwithulteriormotivesoroutofcompulsion.Actsofgenerosityshouldbecarriedouttoexperiencethejoyofgivingwithoutexpectinganyhinginreturn,satisfactionderivedfromtheactitself.7.GenerosityisnottiedtomonetaryormaterialdonationsThereisno“standardunit”ofgenerosity,norisacertainamountofgenerousbehaviouragoaltobeachieved.Thereisnowaytoassess,quantifyorcomparethegenerosityofoneindividualfromtheother,anditisdefinitelynotarace.Itistherapeutictogivesomethingandseethesmileofgratitudeontherecipients’face.
The root of the word ‘generous’ is in the Latin word genus, meaning birth, and generosus, meaning “of noble birth”. It is possible, then, that the word mirrors some sort of customary obligation towards those less wealthy, and an aspect of caring for the individuals who need assistance, essentially in light of the fact that you can, and hence ought to, help them.
Generosity then, in a general sense, is one’s ability to give away - but that statement does not help explain the nuances of generosity. It is an unselfish act of giving away things that may be dear to us with no expectations of anything in return.
Generosity is an important trait to try and emulate within ourselves because it encourages growth within an individual, and simultaneously helps us foster a feeling of harmony in the community we are a part of.
Here are some principles of generosity to help us understand the concept a little better, and ultimately apply it in our own lives to have more fulfilling life experiences:
Generosity is Virtuous
A virtue is a trait in an individual or a quality of character that, in its presence or upon its adoption, leads an individual to make better and more sensible choices and achieve a good life. A virtue is a balance between two extreme behaviours, enabling the individual to create balance in their own lives. Generosity is a virtue because it helps us strike a balance between being a miser or being a spendthrift. But another prerequisite to a trait being considered a virtue is the moral intent behind it the behaviour it results in. If we give away money out of guilt from our past actions, or in order to enjoy the prestige in society that often comes with generousness, to fix a mistake or to compensate for a wrong-doing, with the hope or expectation of a reward or reciprocation of the help in the future, or with the idea of being able to exert influence, or fulfil a past obligation, or out of a desire of acknowledgement, or out of self-interest, the act of apparent “generosity” is not virtuous.
The virtuousness of generosity lies in the idea of giving to another person something that belongs to you without obligation or expectation of a return on the “investment”, simply as an act of freedom that you have chosen to do.
Another aspect of generosity being virtuous, as some would argue, is knowing how to use your monetary resources or material possessions proportionately: not just thoughtless charitable giving beyond what is required or customary but, rather, “mindful giving” that involves giving to the correct people, in the required amounts, for the right reasons, and at the right times. Hence, there is a certain amount of thought, genuine introspection, and assessment of the situation, that needs to be given in order for an act of giving to be considered an act of generosity.
Generosity is Not Gaugeable
Generosity cannot be evaluated on how tangibly big an act of generosity is, neither can the monetary input into the act be a basis of judgement if one act of generosity is bigger than the other, neither can the materialistic loss of the giver or the gain of the receiver determine the value of generosity. How much you can give means very little, since even people of modest means as well as those with great wealth, can both exercise generosity in equal standing.
Although generosity is often considered in terms of money and materialistic objects, it also involves anything that is helpful and helps contribute to other individuals’ life:- giving someone time and attention, extending a certain degree of respect, treating someone with basic courtesy, complimenting someone on their positive traits or the things that make them proud, being a source of encouragement to those around you, spur someone’s hope, welcoming laughter, applauding someone’s efforts, being hospitable and kind, be of service to your community, and forgiveness for those who truly realise their mistakes - all of which may have greater value than money.
Voluntary service to one's community and profession extended by an individual willingly, without prompting is generosity too. But voluntary service that is mandatory, or required by law would not be considered generosity as even though it is an act of kindness and individuals don’t really receive anything in return, as it is done out of compulsion.
Simply smiling at someone could be considered an act of virtue. Finding ways to contribute to another person's life in itself could be an act of generosity. Being able to create a new smile for them to pay it forward counts too.
Generosity is a function of culture; the environment of upbringing factors into generosity.
A graduate student at one of our South Dakota universities, a few years ago, conducted a comparative study of generosity as a trait among young Native American and Caucasian boys, analysing the responses of these two groups of boys on receiving a gift of two candies. In both the groups, the youngsters put the first candy in their mouths, as one might have expected from boys who are usually very attracted to candies and sweets. What the two groups of boys to the second candy displays the deep cultural differences in the likelihood of an individual from a certain cultural context engaging in generosity, and regarding the value and purpose of material possessions:
1) The Native American boys handed the extra candy to a child standing nearby, who did not have one. This is an expression of the cultural principle they have internalized as a result of the culture they belong to, that the purpose of possessions and material objects is to share them with others.
2) The White boys took their second candy and put it in their pocket, probably saving it so that they can enjoy it later. This also expresses a cultural principle, each for themselves.
Cultural differences strongly impact how generosity is inculcated in an individual. Native Americans and a lot of Asian countries tend to function on “Collectivistic” models where the community and looking out for each other is encouraged, the central ideology being the community is better equipped to provide for everyone than one individual for themselves. Hence, individuals tend to be more generous, because they know the community has their back. Western countries, on the other hand, tend to have a more “Individualistic” societal structure, where the individual looks out for themself alone. Generosity, in that case, take a lot more internal motivation to manifest itself into an actual act of Generosity.
That being said, the immediate environment a child is raised in has an equal, if not greater, influence on the kind of adult they grow into. An Individual belonging to a collectivistic culture, yet belonging to an environment that encourages the child to think of themselves first will grow into an individual reluctant to be generous. Similarly, an individual raised in an Individualistic culture but raised by immediate family members to be compassionate to the plight of others will be more likely to be more generous.
Keep in mind, the “flip” side
All ideals have a 'flip side' or, all the more typically, two: one for “excess” and one for not “enough”.
In the case of generosity, these two are “hoarding”, which isn't being generous enough or stocking wealth/material for themself or taking an excess, and “wasteful”, which is giving a lot when it isn't required.
Neither “hoarding” nor “wasteful” are appealing characteristics and, as so an equilibrium needs to be reached.
For striking that balance in terms of generosity, the equilibrium lies in zeroing in on the requirements of those to whom you are giving. Assuming you give what you can and manage to address their requirements, it will be a balance in generosity.
Nonetheless, the exact equilibrium point is up to the individuals involved. The giver assesses both, how much they can give, and how much the receiver needs. If they have more than the receiver needs, they accordingly adjust how much they can bear to part with at the moment and reserve the excess for someone else, whereas when the receiver needs more than what they can afford to gove away, they try their best to help them within their means.
Generosity should not verge into self-sacrifice
Generosity is a virtue, hence it is a way to enrich our lives and of those around us. And we should always try to help whenever we can, but at the same time, it is also important to remember that generosity should not lead to a point where you are sacrificing your happiness for that of others. An empty cup cannot pour out water, and an unhappy person cannot help others. It is important that we take care of ourselves, make sure we have enough to sustain ourselves, and then extend our generosity to others to ensure they have enough too.
Principles of Generosity in Buddhist Teachings
Buddhist teachings and texts explore the concept of generosity as dāna. This concept progresses in four successive stages:
- The generosity of material things (the one we are most familiar with),
- The generosity of freedom from fear,
- The generosity of spiritual teaching which entails offering comfort, concern and advice to support other’s psychological and emotional well-being, and
- The generosity of love.
A quick run-down, or Recap :
1. Generosity is not about personal gain
It is particularly important to ensure that you never exploit others for personal gain, nor should it be done for immoral reasons. Even if you don’t gain monetary return, if your act of generosity is done to get acclaim or praise it is charity, not generosity.
2. Give only enough or as much is needed for it to be a meaningful and useful act of generosity, and give to people who you think will use it sensibly, not those who will use it for wrong reasons.
Someone who gives without thinking about whether the money will be spent on the actual well-being of the receiver may still be considered to be generous, but is it truly an act of generosity?Or is it giving away simply to soothe one’s conscience? Giving generously is about helping to meet the needs of others. Knowing that someone is going to spend the money on alcohol or drugs is not helping to meet their needs, in fact this does more harm than good. The entire point of generosity is to improve the quality of life for everyone that we can help.
3. Don’t give away more than you can, it is important to be able to meet your own needs so that you don’t have to depend on someone else’s generosity.
It is essential to not give away so much that you end up enriching someone else, but at your expense.
4. Be grateful in accepting the gifts of others extend to you
While we should always express our gratitude while accepting gifts from others, we do need to first ensure whether or not they can afford the gift. Just like it is important to make sure we have enough for ourselves before we give, and when we receive we should ensure that the giver is not overworking themself beyond their means to help us.
5. While Generosity is to an extent the result of cultural upbringing, we can always train ourselves to be more generous
Being raised in an Individualistic culture is no excuse to not be generous. Human Compassion is innate. We can always learn to be kinder towards our fellow citizens on earth.
6. Generosity should be carried out with a positive outlook.
Acts of generosity should not be carried out with ulterior motives or out of compulsion. Acts of generosity should be carried out to experience the joy of giving without expecting anyhing in return, satisfaction derived from the act itself.
7. Generosity is not tied to monetary or material donations
There is no “standard unit” of generosity, nor is a certain amount of generous behaviour a goal to be achieved. There is no way to assess, quantify or compare the generosity of one individual from the other, and it is definitely not a race. It is therapeutic to give something and see the smile of gratitude on the recipients’ face.
