--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: when we say of any one that he is…" description: "\"“when we say of any one that he is generous. The word generosity expresses a certain state of mind, but being a term of praise, it also expresses that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/john-stuart-mill-477_approbation_when-we-say-of-any-one-that-he-is-genero_1924530.png" --- # when we say of any one that he is generous. The word… ![“when we say of any one that he is generous. The word generosity expresses a certain state of mind, but being a term of praise, it also expresses that this state of mind excites in us another mental state, called approbation.” quote by John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/john-stuart-mill-477_approbation_when-we-say-of-any-one-that-he-is-genero_1924530.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/john-stuart-mill-477_approbation_when-we-say-of-any-one-that-he-is-genero_1924530.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/john-stuart-mill-477_approbation_when-we-say-of-any-one-that-he-is-genero_1924530.png) > ““when we say of any one that he is generous. The word generosity expresses a certain state of mind, but being a term of praise, it also expresses that this state of mind excites in us another mental state, called approbation.”” [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Generosity reflects a mindset that invites admiration, creating a cycle of positive social feedback. **In simple terms:** Being generous invites praise and further goodwill. Key Takeaway Practice generosity to inspire admiration. Themes generosity social approval psychology Mood thoughtful philosophical Type ethical motivational When to use this quote - volunteering - teamwork - leadership - public speaking Key Concepts ethics human behavior Questions to Reflect On - What motivates your generosity? - How does praise affect your actions? A Different Perspective Praise can be superficial; may not reflect true intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approbation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approbation/) [Generosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Mental state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-state/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [State of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-of-mind/) ## Related quotes > [To have an inner life, to think, to juggle and leap, to become a tightrope walker in the world of ideas. 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The feeling of one's own strength makes one modest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cezanne/the-approbation-of-others-is-a-stimulus-of-which-one-must-sometimes/) [Paul Cezanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cezanne/) > [Egotism is more like an offense, than a crime; though it is allowable to speak of yourself, provided nothing is advanced in favor; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-georg-ritter-von-zimmermann/egotism-is-more-like-an-offense-than-a-crime-though-it-is-allowable/) [Johann Georg Ritter von Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-georg-ritter-von-zimmermann/) > [It is folly to seek the approbation of any being besides the Supreme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/it-is-folly-to-seek-the-approbation-of-any-being-besides-the-supreme/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Hang your merit. I don't seek anyone's approbation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hang-your-merit-i-don-t-seek-anyone-s-approbation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our self-love is mortified, when we think our opinions, and even our tastes, customs, and dresses, either arraigned or condemned; as, on the contrary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/our-self-love-is-mortified-when-we-think-our-opinions-and-even-our/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [“Like many young women, I mistakenly thought that the best way of feeling better about myself was to get other people to like me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-day/like-many-young-women-i-mistakenly-thought-that-the-best-way-of/) Elizabeth Day ## More by John Stuart Mill > [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Liberty lies in the rights of that person whose views you find most odious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/liberty-lies-in-the-rights-of-that-person-whose-views-you-find-most/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Truth emerges from the clash of adverse ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/truth-emerges-from-the-clash-of-adverse-ideas/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“No longer enslaved or made dependent by force of law, the great majority are so by force of poverty; they are still chained to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/no-longer-enslaved-or-made-dependent-by-force-of-law-the-great/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [All acts suppose certain dispositions, and habits of mind and heart, which may be in themselves states of enjoyment or of wretchedness, and which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-acts-suppose-certain-dispositions-and-habits-of-mind-and-heart/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Unfortunately for the good sense of mankind, the fact of their fallibility is far from carrying the weight in their practical judgement, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/unfortunately-for-the-good-sense-of-mankind-the-fact-of-their/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“In history, as in traveling, men usually see only what they already had in their own minds; and few learn much from history, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/in-history-as-in-traveling-men-usually-see-only-what-they-already-had/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [All errors which a man is likely to commit against advice are far outweighed by the evil of allowing others to constrain him for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-errors-which-a-man-is-likely-to-commit-against-advice-are-far/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Every great movement must experience three stages: ridicule, discussion, adoption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/every-great-movement-must-experience-three-stages-ridicule-discussion/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [The successful conduct of an industrial enterprise requires two quite distinct qualifications: fidelity and zeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-successful-conduct-of-an-industrial-enterprise-requires-two-quite/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [ “\[For people\] to refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/for-people-to-refuse-a-hearing-to-an-opinion-because-they-are-sure/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [This is what writers mean when they say that the notion of cause involves the idea of necessity. 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The feeling of one's own strength makes one modest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cezanne/the-approbation-of-others-is-a-stimulus-of-which-one-must-sometimes/) [Paul Cezanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cezanne/) > [Man and his deed are two distinct things. Whereas a good deed should call forth approbation and a wicked deed dis-approbation, the doer of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/man-and-his-deed-are-two-distinct-things-whereas-a-good-deed-should-2/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Man's first care should be to avoid the reproaches of his own heart, and next to escape the censures of the world. 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