Generosity Quotes

We have collected and put the best Generosity Quotes. Enjoy reading these insights and feel free to share this page on your social media to inspire others.

May these Generosity Quotes on many subjects inspire you to never give up and keep working towards your goals. Who knows—success could be just around the corner.

Generosity is a disposition to good will towards others, exemplified by the habit of giving without coercion. Often equated with charity as a virtue, generosity is widely accepted in society as a desirable trait.

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Generosity Quotes

Generosity and giving are incredibly important to me. As I’ve followed God’s principles of giving, there are many times I have found myself on the giving and receiving ends of generosity. – Robert Morris

Generosity brings happiness at every stage of its expression. We experience joy in forming the intention to be generous. We experience joy in the actual act of giving something. And we experience joy in remembering the fact that we have given. – Siddhārtha Gautama

Generosity can have many expressions, including care, time, skill, intelligence, gifts, and money. I believe that one cannot omit any of these without curtailing them all. – Mark V. Ewert

Generosity can have many expressions, including care, time, skill, intelligence, gifts, and money. I believe that one cannot omit any of these without curtailing them all. Financial generosity is one of the most challenging expressions, and perhaps holds the most opportunity to make a difference in the world and our own well-being. – Mark V. Ewert

Generosity could be as contagious as the zombie plague as long as enough people were willing to be carriers. – Jonathan Maberry

Generosity during life is a very different thing from generosity in the hour of death; one proceeds from genuine liberality and benevolence, the other from pride or fear. – Jean-Paul Sartre

Generosity gives assistance, rather than advice. – Marquis de Vauvenargues

Generosity is … revitalizing for a church, and in my experience, that’s true of congregations around the world. – Truax Laura

Generosity is compassion in action, and it is love in action . . . – Barbara Bonner

Generosity is giving good things to others freely and abundantly. Generous behaviors are intended to enhance the well-being of others. – Patricia Snell Herzog & Heather E. Price

Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. – Steve Maraboli

Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. – Khalil Gibran

Generosity is not giving me that which I need that you do, but it is giving me that which you need more that I do. – Kahlil Gibran

Generosity is paradoxical. Those who give, receive back in turn. By spending ourselves for others’ well-being, we enhance our own standing. – Christian Smith

Generosity is the belief that we have something of value to give to others and that we can give it freely and easily. – Richard Stearns

Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness – The Dalai Lama XIV

Generosity must be motivated internally, by joy and delight, not by guilt or obligation. – Rene Schlaepfer

Generosity of character is important. It builds confidence by reminding you that you are a decent human being, and that you deserve any good things which might come your way. – John Franz

A fight is going on inside me, said an old man to his son. It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. The same fight is going on inside you.
The son thought about it for a minute and then asked, Which wolf will win?
The old man replied simply, The one you feed. – Wendy Mass

That’s what I consider true generosity: You give your all and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing. – Simone de Beauvoir

You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. – John Bunyan

A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal. – Steve Maraboli

In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices. – Elizabeth Gilbert

A man who was generous with his wealth. It has been reported that during his lifetime, Carnegie gave away over $350 million of his money to help others. – Andrew Carnegie

Acts of kindness and generosity increase our feeling of time affluence. – Piero Ferrucci

Ah! What pleasure it must be to a woman to suffer for the one she loves!. – Honoré de Balzac

Always, be generous to those who need your help. Be frugal with that you need yourself. – Author Unknown

And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ – James 4:6

As leaders we should be inspirational, generous, forgiving, supportive and set an example for our followers. – Richard Hill

Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. – Simone Weil

Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can. – John Wesley

I gave you all my secrets and you lost them all. You lost a lot of things.
But the treasure of it was in the giving, not the keeping. – Julio-Alexi Genao

Generosity could be as contagious as the zombie plague as long as enough people were willing to be carriers. – Jonathan Maberry

Sir, I did not count your glasses of wine, why should you number up my cups of tea? – Samuel Johnson

If you want to call attention to your good deed then it isn’t a good deed, it’s a self-serving one. Why? Not only have you patted yourself on the back but you’re fishing for others to do the same. – Donna Lynn Hope

You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. – Simone Weil

Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. – Theodore Roosevelt

Being generous often consists of simply extending a hand. That’s hard to do if you are grasping tightly to your righteousness, your belief system, your superiority, your assumptions about others, your definition of normal. – Patti Digh

Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another’s pain, life is not in vain. – Helen Keller

Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting. – Elizabeth Bibesco

But I give best when I give from that deeper place; when I give simply, freely and generously, and sometimes for no particular reason. I give best when I give from my heart. – Steve Goodier

Christmas is more that a time of festivities, family, and friends; it is a season of generosity, gladness, and gratitude. – William Arthur Ward

Do something for somebody every day for which you do not get paid. – Albert Schweitzer

Do you want good to come to you from God, then be generous, lend freely and conduct your affairs with justice. It comes down to faith and trust. – Gary Schulz

Doing nothing for others is the undoing of one’s self. We must be purposely kind and generous, or we miss the best part of existence. The heart that goes out of itself, gets large and full of joy. This is the great secret of the inner life. We do ourselves the most good doing something for others. – Horace Mann

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ford’s system had an immediate impact far beyond his own industry because of his generosity, for he did not try to safeguard, patent, trademark, or sell it. He gave it away freely to anyone who wanted to learn and use it, causing its influence to spread quickly throughout the world. – Vincent Curcio

From the heart, it has come, to the heart, it shall go. – Beethoven’s inscription on his Mass

Gentleness, self-sacrifice and generosity are the exclusive possession of no one race or religion. – Mahatma Gandhi

Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life. ― Confucius

Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others. – Barbara Bush

God gives generously and liberally IF you believe that He HAS ALREADY granted you what you desire. – Jim Ballew

God wants us to be generous, gracious, kind-hearted and compassionate. – Robert Morris

God’s given you the ability to honor him, to serve others, to make a living, to be an example, to have money to pass on to others. And I’ve learned from personal experience that the more generous you are, the more God blesses your life. – Rick Warren

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. – Dennis Prager

Grateful people achieve more and are more goal oriented. People who practice being grateful are more generous and do more paying it forward. – Lainey Garretson

Happiness is not made by what we own. It is what we share. – Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

How can I give you nothing? Do you seriously expect me to buy nothing, wrap up nothing, stick a gift tag on nothing, send a card saying I really hope you like your nothing and lie awake worrying that the nothing I got you was the right color! – Hilary McKay

Time cannot be packaged and ribboned and left under trees for Christmas morning. Time can’t be given. But it can be shared. – Cecilia Ahern

Christmas Gift Suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect. – Oren Arnold

Humanity is the virtue of a woman, generosity that of a man. – Adam Smith

I am a generous man, by nature, and far more trusting than I should be. Indeed. The real world is risky territory for people with generosity of spirit. Beware. – Hunter S. Thompson

I can think of few people living out the idea of biblical generosity like David. The values expressed … are timeless because they are biblical. – Chris Holdorf

I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again. – Etienne de Grellet

I gave you all my secrets and you lost them all. You lost a lot of things.But the treasure of it was in the giving, not the keeping. – Julio-Alexi Genao

I will suggest that joy and contentment are found in simplicity and generosity, in faith and in pursuing your purpose in life. – Adam Hamilton

If we are going to be kind, let it be out of simple generosity, not because we fear guilt or retribution. – J.M. Coetzee

If you are a Christian and happen to become wealthy, you have a biblical responsibility to be rich in good deeds, to be generous to others and to make sure that your hope is within Jesus Christ and not in your money. – Matthew Paulson

If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one. – Mother Teresa

If you give, it will be given to you. And I have found that generous people are blessed people. – Greg Laurie

If you succeeded in building the attribute of generosity, then you likely exhibited your innermost kindness and gentleness in the process. – Rohen Phoenix

It could be said that while the accumulation of personal wealth is a desirable social norm in mainstream American culture, just the opposite is true in American Indian cultures. . . . At its best, a potlatch was a way to redistribute material wealth rather than leaving it in the hands of a few. – Joseph Bruchac

It is more than possible to give gifts without costing you a red penny. – Catherine Pulsifer

It is the heart that does the giving; the fingers only let go. – Nigerian proverb

It takes generosity to discover the whole through others. If you realize you are only a violin, you can open yourself up to the world by playing your role in the concert. – Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Money is but one venue for generosity. Kindness is an even more valuable currency. – Alan Cohen

Minds, nevertheless, are not conquered by arms, but by love and generosity. – Baruch Spinoza

It wasn’t that he was specially ungenerous but that he put things off to give his generosity a longer and more significant route. – Saul Bellow

The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self. – Fred Rogers

Be a gift to everyone who enters your life, and to everyone whose life you enter. Be careful not to enter another’s life if you cannot be a gift. (You can always be a gift, because you always are the gift – yet sometimes you don’t let yourself know that.) – Neale Donald Walsch

I’ve been so bothered with my property, that I’m tired of it, and don’t mean to save up any more, but give it away as I go along, and then nobody will envy me, or want to steal it, and I shan’t be suspecting folks and worrying about my old cash. – Louisa May Alcott

Listen with regard when others talk. Give your time and energy to others; let others have their own way; do things for reasons other than furthering your own needs. – Larry Scherwitz

Love calls for generosity and self-sacrifice. – Lawrence G. Lovasik

Love God and love each other. Be generous with hugs and warm words. – Author Unknown

Many people choose to be generous towards others and empower them as opportunities arise. That becomes a mantra for them, a way of life, a philosophy and a doctrine, a life companion and a collection of self-regulating instincts that become etched on their subconscious mind. – Charles C. Malone

may or may not mean that you’ve acquired a lot. It does mean that you have become a generous person. – Robert H. Schuller

Minds, nevertheless, are not conquered by arms, but by love and generosity. – Baruch Spinoza

Money is but one venue for generosity. Kindness is an even more valuable currency. – Alan Cohen

Money is like manure; it’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around encouraging young things to grow. – Thornton Wilder

No life worth living is possible without generosity. Indeed, it is doubtful whether the tender plant of newborn human life would even survive without generosity. – Miroslav Volf

No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave. – Calvin Coolidge

Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have. – Jim Rohn

Our House Rules – Love God and love each other. Be generous with hugs and warm words. Be patient and respect each other. Practice forgiveness. Be kind and tenderhearted. Pray often. And live with a thankful heart. – Author Unknown

People who are generous are constantly giving things away: courage, money, introductions – whatever is needed. Look around today and see what you have in abundance that others might be lacking. – David Jeremiah

People who practice being grateful are more generous and do more paying it forward. – Lainey Garretson

Pride only helps us to be generous; it never makes us so, any more than vanity makes us witty. – George Eliot

Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out. – Frank A. Clark

Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present. – Albert Camus

Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself. – Og Mandino

Silence the angry man with love. Silence the ill-natured man with kindness. Silence the miser with generosity. Silence the liar with truth. – Gautama Buddha

Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give. – Eleanor Roosevelt

Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else’s life forever. – Margaret Cho

Sustainability, ensuring the future of life on Earth, is an infinite game, the endless expression of generosity on behalf of all. – Paul Hawken

Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity. – Buddha

That’s God’s design for the way we give and express His generosity. Giving is meant to be joyful and fulfilling. It isn’t rooted in guilt, self- righteousness, or a martyr complex. It’s rooted in joy. And, in fact, it’s genius. It’s the smartest way to live. – Chip Ingram

That’s what I consider true generosity: You give your all, and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing. – Simone de Beauvoir

The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others. – Mahatma Gandhi

The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self. – Fred Rogers

The greatest importance in one’s generosity is the expectation of no return – that is neither wanting or looking for an act or gift in kind. – Byron R. Pulsifer

The greatest way to learn the genius of generosity is to practice it in real time with others. – Chip Ingram

The love of Jesus is at once avid and generous. All that He has, all that He is, He gives; all that we are, all that we have, He takes. – Jan van Ruysbroeck

The main source of our wealth is goodness. The affections and the generous qualities that God admires in a world full of greed. – Alfred Montapert

The more generous we are, the more joyous we become. – William A. Ward

The only gift is a portion of thyself. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The people I have encountered have shown me time and time again that no matter how little you have, it is possible to give something back. They proved this by their unprompted generosity. – Tony Clark

The praise meter in our home should rise to new heights. As dads especially, we should be the most generous praisers on the planet. – Matt Click

The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving. – Albert Einstein

The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own. – Lao Tzu

The word sacrifice is so difficult for us to accept, at times. Yet that’s exactly what we must do when we practice generosity: sacrifice something of value to us for the good of another, because we love them. You see, this is what differentiates generosity and giving. – Gordon MacDonald

There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life — happiness, freedom, and peace of mind — are always attained by giving them to someone else. – Peyton Conway March

There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up. – John Holmes

There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness, and generosity. – Nathaniel Branden

There’s no single dollar amount, no particular activity or cause that is better than another, no income level or demographic that matters to generosity, no set variable that is best for giving one’s self to another in time of need. – Kathy LeMay

Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege. – John D. Rockefeller Jr.

This is the life-giving power of generosity – doing good to others, simply because you can. – Jan Grace

This purity of heart that allows us to feel a warm-hearted friendliness to all beings is natural to us. When we cultivate loving-friendliness, we are simply allowing our innate generosity to grow and flourish. – Henepola Gunaratana

To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue: gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness. – Confucius

To be fulfilling, generosity must be motivated internally, by joy and delight, not by guilt or obligation. That’s why, when you read about generosity in the Bible, it always starts with God’s generosity toward you. – Rene Schlaepfer

To know when to be generous and when to be firm – this is wisdom. – Elbert Hubbard

To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness. – Confucius

True generosity is an offering; given freely and out of pure love. No strings attached. No expectations. Time and love are the most valuable possession you can share. – Suze Orman

True generosity is too frequently eaten up by prosperity and riches. – Ellen G. White

Unless generosity of spirit prevails among men there can never be upon earth an ideal life. – Orison Swett Marden

Unless we think of others and do something for them, we miss one of the greatest sources of happiness. – Ray Lyman Wilbur

Unlike its close cousin, compassion, generosity requires action. To be a generous person, you must act. In many ways, generosity is compassion in action, and it is love in action. … Generosity is a practice. And as with anything we practice, we get better at it over time. – Barbara Bonner

‘We humans seem to be most generous when we feel grateful and desire to pass on some measure of what we have been given. – Arthur W. Frank

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. – Winston Churchill

We must give more in order to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves that produces the generous harvest. – Orison Swett Marden

We need to be generous with the women following in our footsteps in the hope that they will be generous with us. – Tina Sloan

We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers. – Seneca

Wealth has generosity of spirit. Richness does not. Generosity of spirit is a phenomenance, and you either have it or you don’t. – Gary M. Douglas

What I gave I have, what I spent I had; and what I left I lost. – Robert of Doncaste

What I’m talking about is Operation Christmas Child. Every year, children around the world receive gifts because of the generosity of believers packaging and sending them a gift for Christmas. It is likely that is the only present they will receive all year. – Alex Bricker

Generosity Quotes

What makes generosity a real and powerful witness to God’s love is our action. – Chris Willard

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. – Albert Pike

When our attitude towards ourselves is big, and our attitude toward others is generous and merciful, we attract big and generous portions of. – W. Clement Stone

When we let our insecurities dictate how we give or receive generosity, our focus is on ourself. When we give to be seen a certain way, or to hide something we don’t like in ourselves, we reduce generosity to an impotent virtue. – Jayson Linford

When you become detached mentally from yourself and concentrate on helping other people with their difficulties, you will be able to cope with your own more effectively. Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor. – Norman Vincent Peale

When you win and the other fellow loses, what do you see? A losing face. There is great joy in losing and making the other person win and have a happy face. Who will be the happiest person? The one who brings happiness to others. – Swami Satchidananda

While it runs contrary to much of modern thinking, generosity has the power to change your life for the better. – David Khalil

Winners acknowledge the contributions of others through the generous use of honest positives. They encourage increased participation and achievement by rewarding all efforts and accomplishments. – Dr. Irene C. Kassorla

With gentleness, overcome anger. With generosity, overcome meanness. With truth. overcome delusion. – The Buddha

You are so fortunate, but what are you giving back to make this world a better place for others? – Catherine Pulsifer

You can always choose to be generous with your time. – Jose Figueroa

You can always choose to be generous with your time. Yes, we all have responsibilities to family and work. But if we were to be honest, it is quite possible that we waste a lot of time that could be used to help others. – Jose Figueroa

You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

You choose to ignore negativity; you choose to love, help and give generously. You choose long term dreams over immediate gratification. You choose to live a great life. – Rahul Badami

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. – Kahlil Gibran

You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. – John Bunyan

You make all kinds of mistakes, but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce, you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her. – Winston S. Churchill

You often say, ‘I would give, but only to the deserving.’ The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture. They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish. – Kahlil Gibran

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. – 2 Corinthians 9:11

You will discover that you have two hands. One is for helping yourself and the other is for helping others. – Audrey Hepburn

Generosity Quotes

From Wikiquote

Generosity is to help a deserving person without his request, and if you help him after his request, then it is either out of self-respect or to avoid rebuke.
- Ali, Nahj al-Balagha

GENEROUS, adj. Originally this word meant noble by birth and was rightly applied to a great multitude of persons. It now means noble by nature and is taking a bit of a rest.
- Ambrose Bierce, The Cynic’s Dictionary (1906); republished as The Devil’s Dictionary (1911).

My friends, Dr. King realized that the only real wealth comes from helping others.
- César Chávez, in a speech, Lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr (1990)

Generosity is a virtue for individuals, not Governments. When governments are generous it is with other people’s money, other people’s safety, other people’s future.
- P. D. James, The Children of Men (1992)

You’ve been so kind and generous.
I don’t know how you keep on giving.
For your kindness, I’m in debt to you.
For your selflessness, my admiration.
And for everything you’ve done, you know I’m bound…
I’m bound to thank you for it.
- Natalie Merchant, Kind & Generous, from Ophelia (1998)

Be generous! Give to those whom you love; give to those who love you; give to the fortunate; give to the unfortunate; yes — give especially to those to whom you don’t want to give.
- W. Clement Stone, Be Generous!

Your most precious, valued possessions and your greatest powers are invisible and intangible. No one can take them. You, and you alone, can give them. You will receive abundance for your giving. The more you give — the more you will have!
- W. Clement Stone, Be Generous!

I wonder if those who advocate generosity for its rewards notice the inconsistency, or if what they call generosity is an attractive investment strategy.
- Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms (2010) Preludes, p.6.

He who gives only what he would as readily throw away gives without generosity; for the essence of generosity is in self-sacrifice.
- Henry Taylor, Money, from Notes From Life (1853)

When you give, therefore, take to yourself no credit for generosity, unless you deny yourself something in order that you may give.
- Henry Taylor, Money, from Notes From Life (1853)