Editorial
Early in September , a friend of mine lamented on social media the appearance of Christmas decorations in a grocery store she frequents . “ How was it possible that the Festive Season could start so early ?” she asked . She voices her opinion – rather strongly – on how shops are pressuring cash-strapped consumers to embark and become involved in the “ season of giving ” – giving what ? More money ?
Look at what we pay for fuel , not to mention food prices that skyrocketed and the interest rate that noticeably increased this past year , she and some of her followers pointed out .
From what I read , there seems to be a hint – or even a warning – that there are limits to how far the season of giving can be stretched , which means a limit to generosity .
But can one place a limit on generosity ?
If one only measures generosity in monetary value , I agree there will be limits to what people can afford and what not .
That said , is generosity just about money ?
The Cambridge Dictionary defines generosity as “ a willingness to give help or support , especially more than is usual or expected ”. Two synonyms the Merriam-Webster dictionary gives for the term are “ unselfishness ” and “ openheartedness ”.
We will all agree that generosity is much more than “ just ” giving money . Yes , monetary donations make a massive difference to philanthropic initiatives , but so does the generosity in terms of time , skills and knowledge .
At PPS , we support all the various interpretations of being generous . As our regular contributor Louis Fourie writes so eloquently in his article on page 16 – “ donate from the ‘ purse of the heart ’”.
Other articles that dwell on the various interpretations of this concept , are that of Izak Smit , our Group CEO on page 8 entitled “ What a US washerwoman can teach us about generosity ”, and Mzwandile Mtshali , our Group Executive Advisory Services and Enablement on page 24 on how to cultivate tomorrow ’ s professionals .
As a member of PPS , you will know that we have the education of South Africa ’ s youth close at heart .
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