It is always best to be generous anonymously and not for show.

just reading some of the older questions and answers here at AR, looks like you got several great answers here, so I wont repeat them.

oh yes,....yes, yes.... many are not generous with anything including knowledge and direction for others....

Real estate professionals are lucky because a generous supply of advice leads to a better quality of life for our clients.

Yes I think it does. A stingy person is stingy with their time, kind words, money, etc. In other words they are selfish and it can't help but show in the way they live their life.

"...do you think generosity defines us...."

No.

Generosity is the manifestation of more deeply rooted attributes. It is those core values, we hold dear, that define us. Those values are the basis of our emotions, shame, scarcity, or abundance, (tangible and intangible) from which generosity emerges.

Yes, our generosity strongly defines us.

There are many forms of generosity...it's not always about giving money.

Sometimes, when another agent you're doing a transaction with is having a bad day, it's about encouraging them - pointing out their strengths, appreciating their successes.  And if you are working with a newbie, it's about encouraging them as well, giving them some tips and pointers that you picked up along the way.

If your seller is under pressure to sell from their spouse having just been given a horrible medical diagnosis, or if they have to sell because of a gut-wrenching divorce, it's about being a sounding board, letting them talk about their fears and frustrations...

If your buyer is a nervous Nellie who doesn't feel comfortable yet writing up an offer, even though they have found 'the one', it's about hearing them out, guiding them to sleep on it, and giving them the time they need to make a right decision.

If you ask me, a good real estate agent is among the most generous of souls, because he/she is giving their time (among other things such as their experience, their knowledge, their skill, their care) - and time away from our families is something we can never replace. 

Yes it does.  However whatever the motivating factor behind it determines whether it is in a positive or negative way.  For accolades: negative.  From the heart and discreet: positive.  Just like when someone "pays it forward", don't tell everybody what you just did.  

I think the sum total of our actions and experiences defines us.

I think it does.

Some of us.

John nailed this one!