Liberality

Liberality has become somewhat of a loose term. Political, religious and many other associations will describe it as it pertains to supporting their cause. Liberality has to do giving and receiving wealth. By wealth we mean things that have value that can be measured with money. The best things in life cannot be purchased with money but without it a person’s life is limited. This is especially true when all his effort must be expended toward survival.

True liberality is the target that lies between being a prodigal and a stingy person. We shouldn’t define prodigality as self-indulgence or a lack of self-discipline. These are separate vices. A prodigal is simply a person who wastes his substance. This person ruins his chance at a pleasant and happy life by losing his substance in various ways.

In a strict sense, virtue is using our abilities and resources in the best way possible. Riches will be used best by a man who has the character trait of liberality. Spending and giving is how we use wealth while taking and keeping is how we acquire it. Liberality is mostly recognized as giving. A truly liberal person not only gives rightly but he also takes rightly. His sources of income are noble and he doesn’t want anything that is unearned. Exchanges should be just between parties. Getting a good deal might seem similar to liberality but really belongs to justice since one person feels he is getting a break. A liberal person is universally liked and is chosen by most as the best virtue to have. This is because unlike other virtues, there is tangible material involved that can be used by the recipient.

The purpose of virtues is to do what is noble. A liberal person will give to the right person, the right amount and at the right time. He will be careful to make sure the recipient is qualified and his giving is effective. It will bring him pleasure to see an improvement in someone’s life. But it causes him pain to see his giving squandered. The person who doesn’t care about these things isn’t liberal but something else. Neither is a person who gives under compulsion. A liberal man refuses to take money from the wrong sources and doesn’t ask for handouts himself. His criteria demand that he will use his own possessions. At the same time he won’t sacrifice to a point where he is neglecting his own since his wealth must be sustained so he can continue to help others. He is also picky about who he helps because he doesn’t want to enable wrong living. A liberal person tends to look out for others more than himself.

The amount is relative to what a person has so a person with little means can be more liberal than someone who has great means. Even a person who has earned his wealth and gives less is more liberal than someone who has inherited wealth since what is earned is dearer to him. It is hard for a liberal person to become rich since his motive for earning is oriented toward helping others and he tends less toward taking and keeping. Having wealth for its own sake isn’t a consideration. That is why it seems that many people who are rich don’t seem to deserve it and those who deserve it don’t seem to have it. But it is possible for a liberal person to become rich if he works hard and makes sure he spends his wealth on the right things and the right people. If he gave to every need, he would be broke and lose his ability to help those who need help. This is what a prodigal does.

A liberal person will participate in proper giving and will do what he ought. Great and small, he will do what is right and do it with pleasure. His sources will be right and he will use his own resources. His pleasure will be limited to things that help and it is proper to be disappointed when things don’t work out well. A liberal person is easy to deal with and is apt to let others have the upper hand. Money doesn’t mean a lot to him and it makes him glad when others are happy.