Generosity: Definition, Examples, & Practices

By Angela Saulsbery, M.A.
​Reviewed by Tchiki Davis, M.A., Ph.D.
What is generosity? Discover its meaning, examples of generous actions, and how to become more generous. Also, the benefits of generosity!
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Most of us want to be giving and unselfish in our lives, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed with requests for donations, time, and support. We all have only so much to give. At the same time, generosity is associated with health, psychological well-being, and social benefits (Allen, 2018). So, how might you practice generosity in a way that also promotes your own wellness? 
In this article, we’ll discuss generosity, how to practice generosity, and how generosity compares with similar concepts like giving and support. We’ve even included quotes and a poem about generosity to deepen your understanding of the concept.
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What Is Generosity? (A Definition)

Generosity is voluntary, unselfish giving of time, money, attention, or other resources; generous people are especially willing to share their resources with others. Although a generous gift can benefit the giver, it’s mainly intended to benefit the recipient, and there isn’t necessarily any expectation of a return. The term “generosity” characterizes both the act of giving and the spirit of the gift. Generous acts can be as dramatic as anonymously donating millions of dollars to a hospital or as mundane as volunteering an afternoon at an animal shelter. 

Generosity, especially anonymous generosity that probably won’t be reciprocated, may seem irrational under evolutionary psychology. This behavior may have evolved, however, to promote cooperation in uncertain conditions (where it’s unclear whether a single meeting will blossom into a steady relationship) (Delton, Krasnow, Cosmides, & Tooby, 2011).

Opposite of Generosity

If generosity is unselfish, its opposite is manipulative giving–giving primarily for one’s own benefit (e.g. to create a sense of indebtedness in the recipient or as a corporate public relations move). The gift may benefit the recipient, but that benefit is incidental, and further giving depends on the needs of the giver. 

Because generosity is freely giving of one’s resources, stinginess and resource hoarding are also its opposites. Think of Ebeneezer Scrooge, piling up his gold while refusing to give his employees a living wage. Accumulating resources far in excess of what you can use is not generous.

The choice to give is also important: Generosity is not forced or coerced. So, for example, it isn’t necessarily generous to pitch in $5 for a coworker’s birthday if your boss pressures you to and you donate reluctantly, out of a sense of obligation. ​

Generosity Examples

One (extreme) example of generosity is anonymously donating a kidney to a stranger. Living kidney donor Sam Trejo penned an LA Times op-ed describing his thought process and experience (Trejo, 2020). He cites empathy for people with chronic health conditions and the low risk of kidney donation to himself as major motivators to donate (Trejo, 2020). Of course, you don’t have to give away part of your body to be generous. Other (more accessible) examples of generosity include
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  • Helping a friend move into a new apartment
  • Paying for the coffee of the person in line behind you
  • Offering advice to a student hoping to break into your industry
  • Paying vet fees to neuter and release your neighborhood’s stray cats
  • Tipping your restaurant server more than the standard amount
  • Doing one of your partner’s chores so they have time to relax during a busy week at work
  • Leaving a book in your neighborhood’s Little Free Library (if there is one nearby)

Generosity vs Giving

Giving describes an action, whereas generosity denotes the spirit in which you perform an action. Giving can be either generous or non-generous. For example, the above examples of pitching in for a coworker’s birthday because of pressure, volunteering an afternoon at an animal shelter to help dogs, and corporate philanthropy for the sake of PR are all giving, but only the volunteering is clearly generous.

Generosity vs Kindness

Generosity and kindness are overlapping concepts. Kindness is warmth, concern, and sympathy directed toward others (or yourself). Kindness, like generosity, can include unselfish gifts of time, attention, and material resources; generous acts can also be described as acts of kindness. But it’s possible to be generous without a kind attitude, and you can treat other people kindly without necessarily offering them valuable resources (although kindness itself may be a valuable resource).

Generosity vs Gratitude

Whereas generosity describes an attitude toward giving, gratitude is receiving with grace and joyful appreciation for the gift. You might be able to increase your generosity by practicing gratitude: In the video below, Rachel Chong explains that gratitude for our privilege and luck can motivate us to empathize with others who haven’t been so lucky. We can then express this empathy through generous actions.

Video: The Key To True Generosity

Generosity vs Support

Support is providing someone with resources to sustain them through a challenge. For example, inviting friends to crash on your couch in between leases is support, as is tutoring a child who struggles with math. Like giving, support can be generous if it’s offered in a spirit of altruism and not purely for your own benefit. Unlike support, generosity doesn’t presuppose a challenge: You can practice generosity toward anyone, even the world’s happiest person.

What Is Generosity of Time?

Although generosity most often refers to monetary gifts, you can also be generous with your time (which is also a valuable resource). You’re generous with your time when you spend it trying to meet someone else’s needs instead of centering your own. It’s important, however, to set limits and reserve enough time to meet your own needs and work toward your own goals. 

How to Practice Generosity

You can incorporate generosity into your life in many ways. It’s important to find a generosity practice that works for you and fits into your budget and schedule–you don’t have to deprive yourself or give up your boundaries to practice generosity. Equally, there’s no rule that you can’t benefit from your generosity toward others. 

Here are several strategies you can try to practice more generosity: 

  1. Set aside a certain percentage of your income for charitable donations. This strategy is a staple of the effective altruism movement (created, in part, through the work of philosopher Peter Singer). Effective altruists act out of a rational belief in doing the most good they can, and many choose high-paying careers so they can donate more money to life-saving organizations (Singer, 2015). This strategy clearly will not suit everyone’s ethics and preferences, and the effective altruism movement continues to receive thoughtful criticisms. 
  2. Look for mentorship opportunities in your workplace. Especially if a mentor devoted time and attention to helping you reach the position you occupy today, you might find it satisfying to thoughtfully pay that generosity forward–especially because, on average, people are less likely to pay forward generosity than greed (Gray, Ward, & Norton, 2014). If your workplace runs an internship program, you can volunteer to get involved. If your workplace does not have an internship program, you may be able to start one or volunteer to speak at a local school or university.
  3. Volunteer for a meaningful cause. The example of volunteering at a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving is classic for a reason. You can also make a list of causes that are meaningful to you and do an internet search for organizations that work to advance those causes. To avoid becoming overwhelmed, you may want to narrow your list down to your favorite 2-3 causes–no one person can do everything, and you don’t need to burn out to effectively practice generosity. As Howard Thurman said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
  4. Make time to listen to a friend who’s struggling. If you already make time to listen to your friends’ problems, congratulations–you’re already practicing generosity. Sometimes, even actions that seem small, mundane, and automatic can be generous. In this case, you would be giving time to a friend primarily for that friend’s benefit. If you know of a friend who’s going through a tough time, you can give them a call and ask how they’re doing and whether they’d like to get coffee. You can even treat them to coffee. Again, it’s important to set boundaries–a commitment to generosity is not a commitment to serve as your friends’ on-call therapist. 
  5. Immerse yourself in nature. …or just decorate your home with plants. In a 2009 study, some participants were shown pictures of natural settings or were asked to sit in a room decorated with several plants (Weinstein, Przybylski, & Ryan, 2009). Participants in the “natural immersion” group were more likely than control participants to demonstrate monetary generosity to a stranger (Weinstein, Przybylski, & Ryan, 2009). So, boosting your tendency toward generosity might be a literal walk in the park.
  6. Make a commitment. In one study, participants promised to spend money on either others or themselves over the next month (Park et al., 2017). Those who pledged money to others actually behaved more generously in an experimental task (Park et al., 2017). Importantly, the people participants pledged money to weren’t the people they sent money to in the task (Park et al., 2017). Promising to behave generously in the future may make you more open to unrelated opportunities to be generous.
  7. Say no when you want to say no. As the saying goes, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” Looking after your own health and boundaries ensures that you can offer generosity when you want to and where it’s needed most, and that you’re doing so from a place of joy and care rather than resentment.

A Forbes post by Tracy Brower also suggests the following generosity strategies: “think broadly” (beyond monetary giving), “think small” (bite-size gifts of time, money, etc.), “think empathetically” (ask what other people need most, not what you would need most in their position), “think regularly” (seize opportunities for generosity in daily life), and “avoid accounting” (try not to keep score) (Brower, 2021).

Finally, in the video below, Ami Campbell describes “contagious generosity.” As an example, she tells the story of her church’s sponsorship of a Tanzanian family–the family used donations to pay for food and a sturdier house, then began giving money away to build a community school.

Video: Radical Generosity Is A Way of Living, Not An Act of Giving

The “contagiousness” of generosity means that you might be able to inspire generosity in your community simply by practicing generosity yourself, and that surrounding yourself with generous people might enhance your willingness to give.

Other Words for Generosity

Synonyms for generosity include magnanimity, hospitality, munificence, largesse, and charity. Many academic researchers prefer to use synonyms like “altruism” and “prosocial behavior” in their work on generosity (Allen, 2018).

Generosity Quotes

Numerous artists, philosophers, writers, historical figures, and other thinkers have spoken or written about generosity. Here is a sampling of some of their words, which may inspire your own thinking about generosity: 

  • “Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.” ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
  • “(I)f we are going to be kind, let it be out of simple generosity, not because we fear guilt or retribution.” ― J.M. Coetzee
  • “Those who give you a serpent when you ask for a fish, may have nothing but serpents to give. It is then generosity on their part.” ― Kahlil Gibran
  • “The Dead Sea in the Middle East receives fresh water, but it has no outlet, so it doesn't pass the water out. It receives beautiful water from the rivers, and the water goes dank. I mean, it just goes bad. And that's why it is the Dead Sea. It receives and does not give. In the end generosity is the best way of becoming more, more, and more joyful.” ― Desmond Tutu

Generosity Poems

Poem: When Giving is All We Have​

Articles Related to Generosity

​Want to learn more? Check out these articles:​​​

Books Related to Generosity​

If you’d like to keep learning more, here are a few books that you might be interested in.

Final Thoughts on Generosity

Whenever you offer your valuable resources primarily to benefit someone else, you are practicing generosity. You can be generous with time, money, possessions, attention, influence, and anything else you value. Although generosity does not aim to benefit the giver, it certainly can and often does: Generosity may offer numerous benefits to you, including increased physical health, positive feelings, well-being, and relationship function and commitment (Allen, 2018). It’s important to incorporate generosity into your life in ways that are realistic, meaningful, and enjoyable for you, and to remember that no generous act is too small to be worthwhile. Generosity doesn’t have to be a sacrifice–instead, it can be a win-win situation that helps everyone involved, strengthens relationships, and makes the world (even a little bit) brighter.

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