Virtues

Generosity

quick ideas about generosity. Benefits and requirements of generosity. How to practice this virtue?

1. What is generosity?

Generosity is the habit of doing good to another with a costly privation of something of one's own. It is a quality usually linked to an intense love.

2. What is the relationship between generosity and love?

One loves someone who desires their good. This desire leads to procuring a good for them. So far generosity is not involved. Generosity appears when there is privation of something of one's own for the purpose of procuring a good for another.

3. Requirements of generosity?

Generosity requires certain conditions:

There must be personal privation. If one does good to another without personal privation, one speaks not of generosity but of kindness — which is also a splendid virtue.
This loss of something of one's own must be costly. If it is light or easy there is still kindness, but it does not rise to generosity. If one gives away what is surplus, one is good but would not be called generous.
It must be done to procure a good for another. If the good is for oneself, one speaks not of generosity but of mortification, detachment, or consistent exercise of a scale of values (order): I lose a good in order to gain a greater one.
The good for the other can be small or large. A small good can be obtained but with great effort and therefore generous. What matters for generosity is the high degree of personal privation.
The good for the other may be joined to a good for oneself, but not as a counterpart. If the good is done in order to receive another good in return, there is no generosity but exchange or business, which can be magnificent but not very generous.

4. Benefits of generosity?

It is not worth being generous in order to receive something in return, but these do come:

One's own heart expands and moves away from selfishness.
Generosity tends to be contagious and improves the atmosphere.
Friends are won, or friendship grows.
The most obvious benefit is the one received by the other. And this is also a benefit.
Many ideals are only possible if there is abundant generosity.

5. Is the generous person foolish?

No, no. The generous person is generous. On the other hand, there may be those who want to take advantage of someone's generosity. With these, it is better not to be generous so as not to feed their selfishness.

6. How to exercise generosity?

There are several ways:

Being helpful is an exercise in generosity when the service becomes costly. For example, offering to clear and tidy a room; helping to run someone else's errands...
Devoting time to others is usually a splendid exercise in generosity.
Lending something to others when one would like to use it oneself. For example, lending the computer or a game.

7. Is it a good idea to be generous with God?

Generosity with God is very fitting:

It is a clear sign that we love Him.
We reciprocate the generosity He showed us by dying on the cross to save us.
The Lord grants His gifts in abundance to whoever strives to please Him.