"Let us give in the way we would like to receive—willingly, quickly, and without hesitation."

In late 1938, a young British stockbroker named Nicholas Winton was planning to go on a ski vacation in Switzerland. A friend called him and said, "Cancel your trip. I have something interesting to show you in Prague."

Winton went to Prague and saw refugee camps filled with Jewish families who had fled from the Nazis in the Sudetenland. He realized immediately that a war was coming and that these people, especially the children, were in mortal danger.

Most people would have gone back to London and written a letter to their MP. They would have formed a committee. They would have "raised awareness". They would have hesitated. Winton did not hesitate. He set up a makeshift office in his hotel room. He began forging travel documents, bribing officials, and chartering trains. He didn't wait for official permission. He worked with frantic speed because he knew the borders could close at any moment.

Over the next nine months, Winton organized eight trains that carried 669 children from Prague to safety in Britain. He found foster families for every single one of them. The last train was scheduled to leave on September 1, 1939, the day Hitler invaded Poland. That train never left, which proved that Winton's speed was the only reason the others survived.

Winton didn't tell anyone what he had done for fifty years. He didn't do it for credit. He did it because the need was there, and he had the ability to meet it. He gave "willingly, quickly, and without hesitation."

Seneca argues that the value of a benefit is not just in the object given, but in the manner of the giving. If you give a starving man a sandwich, but you make him fill out a form or listen to a lecture first, you haven't just fed him; you've humiliated him.

We all know the pain of asking for a favor. It is awkward and humbling. Seneca tells us to spare people that pain. If you see a need, fill it before they have to ask. If they do ask, say "Yes" immediately. Do not say, "Let me think about it," just to make yourself feel powerful. Delaying a kindness is a form of cruelty. It forces the person to worry and wait.

Errors & Corrections

• Don't make them beg. If you see someone struggling, intervene before they have to swallow their pride and ask for help.
• Don't attach strings. A gift with conditions is not a gift. It's a contract. Give freely or not at all.
• Don't delay to feel important. Sometimes we pause just to remind the other person that we have the power to say no. This is an ego trip, not generosity.

Applications to Modern Life

Work

A junior colleague asks for five minutes of your time to explain a concept. Do not sigh and say, "I'm really busy, maybe later." If you can do it, do it now. Say, "Sure, let's look at it." Your immediate willingness makes them feel valued. Your hesitation makes them feel like a burden.

Interpersonal Relationships

If your partner asks for an apology, give it quickly. Do not argue for an hour, make excuses, and then finally say, "I'm sorry," like you are pulling teeth. A delayed apology is just an extended argument. An immediate apology restores the peace.

Charity

When you see a GoFundMe for a friend in crisis, do not bookmark it for later. You will forget. Donate the $50 right now. The speed of the support tells the friend, "I am with you," which is often worth more than the money itself.

Family

If your parents ask you to visit, and you want to go, set the date immediately. Don't say, "We'll see." Uncertainty is stressful for people who love you. Clarity is a form of kindness.

Maxims

• He gives twice who gives quickly.
• Hesitation is a tax on the gift.
• Spare them the ask.
• Don't sell your kindness; give it.

In-depth Concepts

Beneficium (The Benefit)

Seneca wrote seven books On Benefits (De Beneficiis). For Stoics, the exchange of benefits is the glue that holds society together. A beneficium is a voluntary action that contributes to another's well-being. It is the currency of the Cosmopolis. If the currency stops flowing (because people are hoarding or hesitating), the social economy collapses.

Hilaritas (Cheerfulness)

The Stoics believed that a virtuous action should be performed with hilaritas: cheerfulness or joy. If you give money with a sour face, you haven't acted virtuously. You have acted resentfully. The internal state of the giver matters as much as the external gift. The "willingness" Seneca speaks of is this internal joy of being useful.