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Generosity is one of the great virtues. Generous people are kind and caring towards others, they value the potential of each person and offer emotional, economic, spiritual or practical support without expecting anything in return. And interestingly, their behavior doesn’t just help others, it also tends to make them happier themselves!
The good news is, generosity can be learned, as psychologist Raquel Fernández Benéitez explains here.
Are generous people born or made?
Children are born with an instinct for survival and self-protection. This means that selfish behaviours are normal in our early years. Later, the values instilled in us by our families and those around us work to make us more considerate of others.
“Each person is born predisposed to be more or less empathetic and sensitive to the reactions of others, but none of us is born generous. Generosity, like the rest of human values, is incorporated into a child’s behavior as they mature and interact with the people around them,” the expert tells us.
Even after childhood, we can learn to be generous, and the advantages, to ourselves as well as others, are huge.
Benefits of being generous
The psychologist says that when we show generosity of our own free will, knowing that we are going to help someone, it makes us feel good. “We enjoy seeing others enjoy themselves... Giving to others satisfies us as well.”
We all know that positive emotions generate a state of wellbeing that, over time, improves our physical and mental health, possibly even allowing us to live longer. Being generous has other plus points too:
- It eases our social interactions and strengthens our relationships.
- It makes us feel proud of ourselves and increases our self-esteem.
- Finally, being generous is contagious!
How can we learn to be more generous?
Raquel Fernández offers some suggestions on ways to increase this much appreciated facet of your personality:
- Surround yourself with generous people.
- Consider the scope of your own and others‘ generous acts and their positive effects.
- Choose to focus on values such as compassion and empathy and not on selfish and envious behaviors.