Generosity Essay

Aristotle states that courage and generosity are significant virtues the virtuous person must demonstrate. Courage is the mean between rashness and cowardice. As for courage, is a person cannot find the mean, it best that they lean toward rashness rather than cowardice. Generosity or charity is considered the mean in between the giving and taking of wealth. Its excessive vice is wastefulness where a person will give too much, while the vice of deficiency is un–generosity, where an individual is exceptionally greedy(85). The following is the virtue of magnificence. Magnificence is described as the expenditure that is fitting in its large scale, that is being able to spend money appropriately, but what is fitting is also relative and...show more content...

Aristotle also discusses small honors and refers to proper ambition, where the deficient vice is towards lack of ambition and the excess towards extreme ambition that does not have proper motives. A person who wants to live virtuously should maintain mildness or good temper. This mean is concerned with anger and should be undisturbed and not led by feeling. This person is capable of being angry at the right things and towards the right people, and also in the right way, at the right time and for the right length of time. The deficient vice is blame and there are variations of the excess vice, such as, irascibility or those that get angry too easily, choleric people who are worse than those irascible, and those that are bitter who stay angry for long periods of time(106).

Friendliness in social intercourse or the sociability is the next virtue. The deficient vice is referred to as quarrelsome or cantankerous. This individual will try to cause pain at any point during social interaction. The excessive vice is flattery, where an individual will do everything to praise and please. A virtuous person should demonstrate truthfulness in social life; in regards to boastfulness and candor. The deficit person is referred to as the self–deprecator; denies and belittles his actual qualities and inclines to tell less, rather than more or the truth. The excessive person, on the other hand, is a boaster and claims qualities that win reputation and he either lacks them Get

Wealth, payment, greed, and generosity are very consistent concepts found today, however it was also in Medieval times. These things were in medieval times because of necessity, there were not there by choice. People needed to barter in order to thrive in society. Bartering was a staple of human society. In the textBeowulf, these concepts are routinely shown. The concepts of wealth, payment, greed, and generosity will be evaluated, and reflected upon, to give the reader an accurate description of these concepts in Beowulf. Wealth is very frequently used topic in the text Beowulf. The concept of wealth decided social status. In Beowulf, the kings and thanes have the most amount of money. King Hrothgar is the richest person in the land of...show more content...

When Wiglaf and the thane's bury Beowulf, they do not take the golf from the dragon, they bury it with Beowulf, as a sign of respect. Generosity is also another important human trait, which brings the book alive. The author uses wealth to balance the book. After using greed, it needed a balance. Generosity gives the illusion of a balanced book. The concept of Generosity can also be seen with the king, hrothgar. He frequently gives Beowulf and his army food and supplies. Hrothgar's wife also shows generosity by offering Beowulf the throne, after Hrothgar's death. The concepts of wealth, payment, greed, and generosity evaluated give new insight. Beowulf is full of literary allusion. Many different themes are shown throughout Beowulf, and they give insight in to the time period of this era. Wealth, payment, greed, and generosity were very important in the Medieval era. The text of Beowulf, shows this off with perfection, and it gives a great representation of the time period. These four concepts balance very well throughout the book. Wealth, payment, greed, and generosity are also important today, in this modern era, and will continue to be important for as long as we

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Family is an extremely important aspect of a person's life from the time when they are born until they are adults. Families are made to be resilient and brave, and should be able to withstand the challenges that life throws. Courage is the backbone of a family, and generosity is also extremely important. A healthy family can withstand change and take it head on, and it is not a big deal. Responsible independence is being able to coexist and generously take care of those around you in a way that won't harm you, but helps you. Generosity in a family can be seen in many ways, from helping those in the family and meeting needs of every family member and helps those families around them. Generosity in the family has been proven to be contagious with the children as they grow up. If a child grows up in a generous home, they are much more likely to carry that trait with them as they gain responsibility and go out into the world.

A great number of studies has offered thatreligion has an impact on prosocial values and generosity. Religious people tend to have higher values and therefore are more generous, kind, and trustworthy. It promotes aspects of prosociality as something people of good nature should be inclined to do. A partner who is religious is much more likely to be kindhearted and generous than a partner who is not religious. One problem with these assumptions is that the people who make them know the people are religious. The assumptions need to be made in a blind

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How Is Beowulf An Epic Hero

In an Anglo– Saxon culture an epic hero must also be a warrior. A hero must be have courage, bravery, and be intelligent. Throughout the poem Beowulf it is very noticeable that Beowulf is becoming well defined and maturing into a hero. Some of the Anglo– Saxon hero characteristics can be seen defined by the actions of Beowulf. Whether he is fighting sea monsters or a dragon, Beowulf shows that he is a warrior and an epic hero. He becomes one the most honorable and a much more humble warrior than some the ones around him. In the poem, Beowulf has four virtues. These virtues are being loyal, showing generosity, physical strength, and love for one another. There are many examples of Beowulf's loyalness in the poem. One that sticks out is his relationship with Hrothgar. Even though Hrothgar is not a Dane, Beowulf still decides to help his kingdom. Many years ago Hrothgar's father helped Beowulf's own father so in a way he helped in return. This is not the end though. After he defeated Grendel and Grendel's mother he decided to return home so he pay the honor to his own king. He even still proves that he is loyal by showing his loyalty to his men and supporting them throughout the journey....show more content...

At times the king would be given names such as "ring–giver" (35) and other nicknames such as "treasure–giver" (607). When a warrior has done something such as a great achievement, the king would give prizes or treasures to each warrior according to the mans act in battle. When Beowulf fights Grendel and Grendel's other. Beowulf received the greatest riches. Things such as a golden banner and helmet. He then brings back and gives the gifts that he has been bestowed upon him and gives it back to his uncle which also shows that he is very honorable. In many instances it is very evident that Beowulf just has a kind and generous

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Hrothgar Throughout his reign as the ruler of the Geats, Beowulf is a benevolent leader bringing peace and power to his nation as Hrothgar instructs him to do after the great warrior defeats Grendel's mother. Hrothgar relates to him as "King of the Danes", who brought little joy to the Danish people, only death and destruction. He tells Beowulf to learn from this and understand true value. Hrothgar intends that this information can be carried on with Beowulf. Hrothgar was a brave and strong–minded man. Much of these people's respect comes in response to hrothgar's generosity to everyone. This generosity can be seen towards Beowulf, when the king gives his thanks for the heroic deeds of the warrior.

Hrothgar rewards Beowulf with priceless...show more content...

He was known to be a great warrior and king, but he is still was unable to stop Grendel from killing his people. Although Hrothgar was a mighty warrior in his day, at the time when the epic story in Beowulf takes place he is an old king, no longer able to defend his people against the demon Grendel. But Hrothgar was a savior in the form of Beowulf who is prepared to aid him by defeating the demons that stalk his land, but will not steal his throne. Even though Hrothgar lacks the strength as a warrior that would be necessary to bring true security to his people, he practices another custom that does help maintain his power. Hrothgar generously distributes rewards, including gold, armor, and rings to the warriors who support him, both Dane and Geat. He can literally buy loyalty, even when he can't force it in battle. King Hrothgar was not always a gentle lord. He mean seem like it because he does not fight the monster. Hrothgar first conquered in war, resulting in the acquirement of money and goods. Then as he aged he became braver and strong–minded. He also developed loyalty through friendships, especially felt at the teary goodbye when Beowulf left. Hrothgar follows the ideal set forth in King Sheafson in that he was successful at war and then gained loyalty through friendships and Get more content

Title of the reviewed article: Physical Order Produces Healthy Choices, Generosity, and Conventionality, Whereas Disorder Produces Creativity

Reviewer's name: Dolkira Alkisti

1. Summary

The main aim of this study was to show that physical settings could have an impact on human behaviour and decision–making. More specifically, the authors hypothesized that orderly environments promote healthy food choices, generosity and convention, whilst disorderly settings foster creativity. In the three experiments conducted, each participant was placed in a room (half of the participants in an orderly condition and the other half in a disorderly). In the first experiment, 34 Dutch students were tested as to whether being in an organized setting can influence preferences of food choices and donating money to a charity, in comparison to a messy environment. The second experiment measured the influence of the environmental order concerning creativity in 48 American students. In the third experiment, the authors measured the preference for a new or a classic option in 188 American adults. As regards the outcomes of the experiments, the participants in a non–organized setting made less healthy food choices and donated less money compared to the participants in the orderly room. Furthermore, they produced ideas that are more creative and showed a preference towards the new rather than the classic choice in contrast to the participants that were located in a tidy condition. According to the

What Is Generosity Essay

Melanie Rogers Prof. Murphy

Philosophy in Literature

November 8th, 2016

Generosity

Whenever the term generosity is uttered, people often shift their minds to giving out possession or money to people sometimes without seeming to be mean. Therefore the modern society seems to look at generosity from what the outside community think. Some people even give to gain popularity. What is the correct definition of this word? This term has its genesis in different languages such as Latin, French, and later in English. Ancient meaning reveals that the word was used in a different context than it is today. Initially, the term generosity was thought to be synonymous with people "of noble birth." Burwell & Huyser (2014) observe that the term was in use up to the sixteenth century when its English meaning started changing. In the seventeenth century, it shifted from lineage among the noble families to decency of the spirit and the heart. People started associating generosity with people born with...show more content...

Firstly generosity can be an acquired or an inherent virtue; natural in the sense that some people act philanthropically even when they are still children. And they happen to carry on with these virtues even in adulthood. There are those individuals who learn these virtues may be from their religious teachers, and they continue applying them to perfection.

There is another group of philanthropists who believe that they have acquired enough wealth and now they can give their excess possession to whichever charitable organization. Do these people define generosity? From Aristotle to Kant and Aquinas there is a standard feature that defines generosity. Mainly, generosity comprises attitudes and actions. The attitudes should be internally elicited, and therefore the haphazard actions of giving may not qualify to be termed as Get

Hospitality And Generosity

Hospitality: A Lost Virtue. When invited to a home, one expects and usually gets a warm welcome and by the hostess. This trait called Hospitality has existed since the biblical times. However, in this day in age it has disappeared. Some people are so unkind and disrespectful when they invite guest into the home and if they have children they are also usually impolite. The kids are always on their electronics or have other distractions. The dictionary defines this as the generous and friendly welcome of guests at ones home. However, to fully know what hospitality means, we must look to what God says about it, understand the definition, the effect it has, and also reflect on personal experiences. ...show more content...

This virtue that has been commanded from God as something we need to be doing is starting to be a thing of the past. Effects of both inhospitality and hospitality are different and many. Now for a comparison of the two. When someone has had kindness shown to them, they tend to return the favor. But if treated with disrespect, they will not treat you any better and that person will be filled with hatred towards you because of that disrespect. Another effect of hospitably remains that if you are kind to others it will make you happy, more thankful, and encourage you to think of others. On the contrary, the opposite will make you unhappy and ill–mannered. Most of all, when you are hospitable and kind to others it pleases Our Heavenly Father. I have been treated with both hospitality and inhospitality several times. With these kinds of experience comes either Happiness or Hatred. Once incidence of generosity for instance was when I went to my Aunt`s home. She treated my family and I very well and provided us with food and other things we needed and plus a little extra. She overall treated us with kindness. That made our time more enjoyable and made us want to go back. This really helped me and my family obtain a good relationship with my Aunt and respect her. On the opposite, I was treated very wrongly when I went over to our Pastor` s wife's home for bible study. I was hardly talked to by the woman, it was unpleasant, and I felt unwelcome the entire Get more content

Greed versus Generosity. Greed is the selfish desires that drive people to do anything for what they want while generosity is the desire to give in order to suffice the need of others. During the American Revolution, the industrial leaders were men who built their industries from the ground up. These men created jobs, new products, and had a lasting positive effect on America's economy. Many people believe that these men were selfish robber barons that were only driven by the attractive amounts of money they were earning; however, the reality is they were generous men who took part in philanthropy. While Robber Barons demonstrate greed, captains of industry show generosity. These industrial leaders showed the qualities of a captain of industry. Get

So here the theme for The Gift of the Magi. Here are my three topics. Selflessness, generosity, and sacrifice. The reasons I have chosen these three was because they showed generosity when even though not able to use their gifts now that one of them had no hair and the other had sold his watch. They also showed selflessness when Jim went of and sold his watch so he would have the money to buy Della her gifts. Then when Della cut and sold her hair because she didn't have very much money to purchase Jim something. Sacrifice was when he sold his watch and she cut and sold her hair. (O'Henry The gift of the magi page 205) Okay so let's talk about the first point in The Gift of the Magi which is selflessness. This means that they care for each

The Spiritual Discipline Of Generosity

Introduction I have chosen the spiritual discipline of generosity as it has been a big part of my life before and after my conversion to Christianity. Generosity is a common discipline for both Christian and non Christian people as a cornerstone of success in whatever way you view success. The 5 qualities that generous people share are they are Altruistic (give without expecting a return), they are Optimistic (view the world in a positive light), Trusting (trust what they are giving to is worthy), Energetic (they are energized by their giving), Leaders (they are not afraid to lead the battle for a cause). Summarise your original understanding of the discipline before the course started Prior to the course I understood the principle of generosity as being giving of your finances and your time but only ever judged myself on financial giving. This was actually an anomaly as I actually spent more time helping others than I did giving financially but put more value on finances. Having spent time in the course and with my group and mentor I have come to realize that there is no right or wrong in giving time over money or money over time. I have stopped judging myself now and am comfortable with the fact that they both have equal value and that the most important thing is that the giving of time or money is from the heart and for the right reasons.

A Significant Christian figure in history who has contributed to this discipline

During my study I have been led to read about

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Generosity In The Grapes Of Wrath

Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, a French novelist who went by the pseudonym George Sand, claims "charity degrades those who receive it and hardens those who dispense it." Those who give to others solely believe they are contributing to the greater good. While those receiving more or less don't reciprocate the same gratitude. It comes from human nature to believe deep down to help others less fortunate than one. Generosity spreads to those in need creates gratitude for those who dispense. In his novel, The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck explores this theme while telling the story of a poor family's journey during the Dust Bowl. In the novel, Steinbeck uses Mae to demonstrate generosity shown towards suffering people reveals an individual's underlying morals.

Mae giving discounted bread to a family reveals her needs are less important when helping a suffering family. Mae is working at...show more content...

The word is so ambiguous to everyone in society. Many view charity as giving back to those in need because they feel as though they are "bettering the community" in one small way. However, those receiving, can see it as pity or shameful action. We see this throughout The Grapes of Wrath as well, the receiving end of the generosity is interpreted differently than those giving out. In today's society, it's programmed into us that if you don't partake in charitable actions, you aren't considered a "good samaritan". If you aren't helping, what are you doing? Some people today, are being "generous" for all the wrong reasons: to fulfill volunteer hours or doing it to set an image. We need to people to check their moral intentions before believing they are "helping" the community. In other words, people can do more damage to others when having the wrong intentions when it comes to charitable work. If we don't, we create a society who pities those who suffer in order to boost one's ego. Now. Reflect on how you are "bettering" the

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In The Gift Of The Magi the setting and characterization build the themes of love, generosity, and wealth and poverty. The setting takes place in there home in NYC and in a hair shop. The first theme that takes place is love, the theme is shown through the selfless actions from Della and Jim. They sold their most valuable possesions in order to get there spouse a gift for christmas, money had been tight that year and they were poor. That also shows character because it shows that they are selfless which is a character trait. In addition to the first theme love, Generosity is the second theme shown. They were willling to give up prized possessions and were willing to give up neccesitys if it meant the other was happy and had a good christmas.

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Generosity Analysis

Civility can be defined as showing respect, being polite, and sacrifice for strangers, not only for people we know. Stephen Carter introduces five tenants of civility: Our duty to be civil toward others does not depend on whether we like them or not; civility requires that we sacrifice for strangers, not just for people we happened to know; civility has two parts: generosity, even when it is costly, and trust, even when there is risk; civility requires that we listen to others with knowledge of the possibility that they are right and we are wrong; civility requires that we express ourselves in ways that demonstrate our respect for others. It was the week before a big sailing race in my high school against the Turkish Naval Academy. Academy...show more content...

We were trying to play a decision making game, and we divided into groups, and started thinking about different scenarios. Everybody was trying to find the best way, but I felt like alienated from the group because of my speaking skill. I was afraid to speak even if I really liked my friends and I knew that they wanted me to talk. I observed everyone and they were arguing about the situation. The tension was high, and I decided to tell my idea which I thought it was a great idea. I did not want them to argue, because it wasn't worth to argue for a game. I told them not to argue, and told my opinion. At first, they did not accept my opinion and opposed it. I knew their ideas and showed their ideas' lack of strategy, and in the end they accepted my idea. We went out, and showed our strategy. Even if we did not win, we had a great strategy. I persuaded my classmates by examining the situation critically and showing examples. If I could go back I would have done the same thing to avoid argument and try to persuade them. I think leaders have a responsibility to ensure a climate of civility, because if no one has respect to each other, that institution or organization cannot execute its mission. If no one trusts each other, they don't show honesty which leads a failure. A leader should create an environment that everyone works together and shows respect and trusts each other. By doing this, the institution Get more content

If you've ever been caught in a fight between two people you may be pressured into taking sides. Now there's three sides to every story: one person's side, the other person's side, and the truth. After reading both the Odyssey and the Aeneid, you can see that both sides of the war have a different perception as to how it was won. Each side was portraying a different story as to how the horse got inside Troy and the battle. In the Aeneid, Virgil uses the Trojan's generosity to make it seem like the Greeks only won because the Trojans are good people. Virgil shows an "act of kindness" from the Trojans by telling the readers about Sinon. Sinon portrayed himself as an abandoned youth, left behind by the Greeks, who was seeking help and this act...show more content...

In Book IV, Aeneas loses track of his destiny because of his compassionate feelings for Dido. Once he realizes that Rome needs him, he tries to spare her feelings by sneaking away. Aeneas is told by the gods that he needs to fulfill his destiny so he decided to try to sneak away thinking he was doing Dido a favor by sparing her feelings when in reality what he did was petty and hurt Dido more than ever. Virgil writes, "And as he pondered this seemed the better tactic; he called in Mnestheus, Sergestus and stalwart Sergestus, telling them: "Get the fleet ready for sea, but quietly, and collect the men on shore. Lay in ship stores and gear.""(Book IV, Lines Get more content

Unbroken Generosity Quotes

The American talk show host Dennis Prager said, "Goodness is about character – integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people." In the biography Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, Louis Zamperini's generosity helped desperate, dying men survive POW camps in Japan during World War II. While Louis faced the same dehumanization as other prisoners, his will and need to give to others saved not only his life, but the lives of those around him. In the beginning of Unbroken, Hillenbrand introduced readers to Louis's generosity and delinquent behavior. Growing up, Louis stole items from people and kept them. When it came to family members doing it also, Louis got caught the most: "'Pete never got caught,' said Sylvia, 'Louis always got caught'" (8). Although not good at stealing at first, Louis learned the hard way what not to do. However, knowing he...show more content... His generosity came into full effect when the rescue planes came to receive the men: "Louie saw the plane coming back and began trying to alert the men" (320). Out of Louis's kind heart and will to help others survive, fellow POW's were also able to make it stateside. Louis started out like many boys do, delinquent and curious, but ended by making a huge difference in many former POW's lives. He had changed for the better because he no longer wanted to seek vengeance against his captors: "A few days earlier, Louie would have bound and killed him without remorse. Now the vengeful urge no longer had sure footing" (322). Although Louis had wanted his captors dead, something in him changed, or had resurfaced. His generosity had been strictly for fellow prisoners; now it flourished to everyone including his captors. He no longer wanted them dead, he wanted to tell them he forgave them. Out of the generosity that flowed from him, Louis wanted no revenge; he just wanted to

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Some people may be familiar with this Bible verse in Proverbs 19:17 which says, "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed." or this other Bible verse; "It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice" from Psalm 112:5. They both talk about generosity in other words, kindness. In today's world, people act in a way based on their morals, culture, logic or based on their religion. Some people have a belief that they should be kind to others because they might receive the same kindness back. But kindness is something much more than what people think it is. It is about acceptance regardless of differences, respect and giving without expectation. 6 years

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a merciless event, it is selfish without even realizing it. Doing good deeds does not make us a good individual, it just makes us decent. The benefits of generosity for both our physical and mental health are outstanding. generosity reduces stress, supports one's physical health, enhances one's sense of purpose, and helps fight depression, it has also been shown to increase one's lifespan because all the health benefits of not being stressed. You may think you are being selfless, but you are also benefiting yourself in a way you did not know about. Developing compassion increases our happiness. In an experiment published in Science by Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton, they gave money to; two sets of groups, one that spent money on themselves and the other spent it on other people. It was found that the people who bought presents for others showed an increase in happiness, this was even the case with children giving treats to others. We are using an unselfish event and making for an ego boost. However, by doing so we need to become conscious of the world around us. As we develop more of an awareness we become more concerned about what is going on around us. Therefore, we carry guilt for simple things like throwing a cigarette on the ground, we may feel guilty for a bit, but we can always change our actions and help the world around us. Compassion is simple and uses common sense, it is humble and straightforward. Being compassionate is difficult for those who

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Throughout life, everyone develops a trait from their family or friends that usually sticks with the individual for the rest of his or her life.Generosity is one of the most important traits that my family taught me. Generosity is being nice and not expecting something in return. Doing good deeds with good intentions will lead to beneficial results. Being generous can make people feel great because the person feel like they made someone happy. Being generous can improve the life of the giver and receiver. At a young age, I learned about generosity when I gave money to one of my cousins so that she could buy an ice cream. The adults in my family taught me how to be generous. My dad has always helped out his family and people with money problems. For instance, my dad sends money to his siblings, grandsons, and granddaughters that are in Mexico. My dad has always supported our family members with money, but my day does not send money as often because sometimes our family members don't pay my dad back. My family members say that they have the money to pay my dad when we go to Mexico, but by the time that we go to Mexico, our family members have already spent the money. This year our family members have gotten better at saving money, so when a family member needs, money my dad just tells him or her to go ask his brother that is in charge of the money. My dad will also not have to pay for many things when we go to Mexico because the people who owe my dad money will pay my dad. The simple acts of giving money, clothes, or food that a person can do will bring happiness to another. Teaching generosity at a young age is important because the kids will feel good giving to another. My dad is generous to our family in Mexico. For instance, when we go to Mexico my dad always buys at least one clothing item for everyone in the family. There's a lot of family members, so my dad spends hundreds of dollars every time we buy clothes for our family. My siblings and I don't get to take a lot of clothes, because of all the clothes that we are taking to our family members. My dad also spends a lot of money when we are in Mexico because my dad pays for the food and bus that is rented by my dad so, that the whole family can go to