If you're filling someone's drink, and you fill the vessel to the very brim, it might seem like you're being generous.

By one measure, you are offering as much as the cup can possibly hold.

Your output shows generosity.

But in practice, the person who gets the brimming cup also gets
the awkward task of carrying it.

The result is usually a wet hand, and a few puddles on the floor.

It's wasteful.

* * *

There's a practicality to generosity that shouldn't be overlooked.

Generosity is not always about how much the giver gives.

• An overabundance of leftover party food that someone is pressured to take home

• Bottled water sent to parts of the world where distribution is insurmountable

• Winter coats donated just prior to the summer heat wave

• A pile of cash offered to someone who has no idea how to manage it

• A lecture about life lessons that drones on, and on, and on...

I'm not saying, "Don't be generous." Not at all.

Be generous. Be very generous.

But know the recipient. Begin with empathy. Understand what they need, and what they are capable of accepting. Then – by all means – give.