Generosity Without Expectation
Give freely to others without expecting return, as giving is itself an expression of virtue and strengthens social bonds.
Seneca's essay On Benefits analyzes the ethics of giving: genuine gifts are given without expecting return. Expecting gratitude transforms a gift into a contract and corrupts its virtue. The wise person gives freely, receiving satisfaction from the act of giving itself rather than from the recipient's response.
If you want to be rich, don't add to your possessions but subtract from your desires.
Stoic gift ethics parallels anthropological gift economies and Buddhist dana (generosity) in grounding social cohesion in unconditional giving.
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