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It's worth remembering some obvious facts: if we were all a little more considerate of one another, the world would be a better place. So, how do we go about it?
It seems that today, generosity is almost as endangered as the rainforest, as we all seek our own individual happiness. Yet, there was a time when helping someone in need was rewarding. Acting for the good of others made us happy.
Let's remember this to motivate ourselves and give our time, share our knowledge or our friendship, and why not, give money if necessary. Generosity involves forgiving small mistakes and accepting that we don't have control over everything. It also means knowing how to give way to those in a hurry, for example, on the street. Generosity is undoubtedly one of the most underestimated yet essential qualities of our time.
Generosity, a quality that is shared
A study conducted at Cornell University in the United States in 2012 (( https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/opinion/sunday/the-science-of-paying-it-forward.html )) describes the phenomenon known as "paying it forward." Imagine that you are waiting for a coffee and, in a show of generosity, the person behind you in the queue pays your bill, the next person pays the bill for the person in front of them, and so on. This is exactly what happened in 2012 in a fast-food restaurant in the United States: 226 customers paid the bill for the person in front of them in the queue, without being obliged to do so. An incredible gesture, and apparently, contagious.
Social contagion is an interesting concept. It opens a new perspective on the concept of reciprocity, often associated with generosity. Reciprocity is the feeling of owed a favor or expecting something in return for our generosity. The relationship between the giver and recipient of an act of generosity is direct, unlike that of an act of generosity, which is contagious. Why?
On the one hand, reciprocity can mean that someone has helped you in a difficult situation and you want to return the favor. This is a wonderful motivation to give your time or money to a charity, for example. However, if you feel obligated to give or are acting out of self-interest, you might want to step back and reflect on the meaning of the gift. Have you ever prepared a gift for someone just because they gave you one? In that case, how much was the feeling of obligation to the person, compared to the joy of finding the perfect gift to please them?
On the other hand, if you spontaneously show generosity to someone and another person notices and is inspired by your gesture, it is a wonderful way to be generous, in an indirect and contagious way.
True happiness comes from completely free generosity. (( https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/sci-tech/warm-fuzzy-feeling_being-generous-makes-you-feel-happier-a-study-reveals/43325688 ))
There are a thousand and one ways to be generous. You can offer advice to someone who asks for it. Or volunteer, for example, by reading to children or giving your time to the elderly or isolated. Or write an online food review, create open-source software, offer an honest opinion about a product online, or stop on the side of the road to help a driver change their tire. Or simply take the time to sit and calmly listen to someone in distress, giving them the attention they need to express themselves, and thus provide them with some relief.
If we are then simply happy to have listened, without expecting anything in return, then we have shown true generosity. And this wonderful gift we have given will make us deeply happy.
It's easy to encourage others to be generous: just lead by example. It's a great way to spread goodness on Earth!