generosity is the virtue of those who share out of goodness. An act of generosity must be done in a disinterested way, without expecting any return.
It is also a sign of abundance, of something aplenty. As a portion of food well served, as in the phrase "the chef generously served the sauce".
It is also used to talk about talents, as a synonym for prodigality: "she sang with generosity in her voice".
Some synonyms for generosity they are nobility, greatness, dignity, kindness, magnanimity, benevolence, beneficence, humanity, compassion.
The opposite of generosity, that is, the antonym of the word, would be the avarice, or even pettiness, greed, selfishness, and misery.
In English, generosity is generosity.
In your etymology, the word generosity comes from the Latin genes, which in turn has an Indo-European source in the term gen, which means to generate or give birth. The words beginning with gen in Portuguese they refer to this idea, as in genesis or parent.
The word people it extends the meaning to family or clan, and generous would have come from this root, meaning "one who had a good birth". In modern Portuguese, the word generous ended up finding the meaning of one who distributes nobly.
The concept of generosity is not just about sharing material goods, about sharing things. You can have generosity in actions, by sharing knowledge, by sharing recognition and victories with all those who helped along the way.
Lack of generosity leads to being mean, selfish, not sharing, and isolation.
For philosophers and psychologists, generosity is part of the set of basic human virtues, along with benevolence and patience, among others.
Learn more about the meaning of Human Virtues.
Animal behavior scholars also claim that generosity is part of the spectrum of virtues of these beings. Even though it is a complex personality trait, generosity has been proven among a group of Chimpanzees. And informally, recorded by caregivers of domestic animals on a daily basis, both among animals and in relation to humans.
What is it to be generous?
The development of generosity must be accompanied by other virtues, such as gratitude, and cultivated from childhood.
It involves educating children and adolescents, by not taking selfish attitudes, learning to share things with their peers, and more than that, to be generous with their feelings.
In the Bible, generosity is treated as a characteristic of God and men. God is generous because he gives man more than he deserves to receive, in the form of gifts such as health, for example. To which man should be grateful and equally generous with his peers, especially with those most in need.
In Proverbs 22:9, generosity is cited as a blessing:
"Whoever is generous will be blessed,
for he shares his bread with the poor".
Among some examples of generosity we can take simple actions, such as giving a seat on the bus to a person older, or who doesn't seem to be able to stand (like someone holding a lot of bags, for example).
Generosity can also be found in the school and work environment: when you see that a colleague is going through difficulties in completing a reasoning or a work, help can be offered so that he can complete your task. But without stealing the protagonism of the action, that is, without taking credit for the colleague.
At home, one way to exercise generosity can be the simple act of making coffee before the other family member, such as the mother, starts to make it. It's leaving the biggest slice of the cake to the brother who likes that sweet the most. It's taking a quick shower because you know your sister needs to use the bathroom longer and can't be late.
From the small acts of generosity, to the most obvious ones that involve donating large amounts of money, all are valid and develop human virtues.
