Why would it be important if we're talking about "true" giving or "true" love?

(Talk in that vein always reminds me of talk a la "true metal" (among heavy metal fans), and of course it brings to mind the "No True Scotsman" fallacy.)

If you give love, is something in you or something of yours thereby diminished?

What do you mean by "true" giving. You seem to be separating giving: into ordinary giving - ie a Christmas present; and "true" giving, which is at some higher level. Is that because it has required sacrifice?

If I give my life on the battlefield to save a colleague then yes that is a greater gift than if I gave him a Christmas present. But the label "true" seems to infer some spiritual dimension. I think it needs explaining...

Since Love is an action word and requires and action I would say yes

The supply of love is unlimited; giving doesn't deplete the store.

You will need to delineate the difference between "love" and "True Love". Is it what Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly sang about in High Society?



"True Love" of the sort depicted in the song is nice, sweet, pretty, sentimental, romantic. That kind of love is quite different than Christ's definition: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13. Or in the verse preceding, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." and elsewhere, "If you love me, keep my commandments." As opposed to sweet and pretty, the love Jesus asks for is, as Dorothy Day put it, "a harsh and dreadful love".

True giving... again, what is the difference your are suggesting between ordinary giving and true giving?

Real gifts don't have strings attached. When you give someone something, you are done with it. This comes into play when giving beggars money. What difference does it make to you what he does with it? Once you make a gift to a beggar, your gift is no longer yours. If you give a friend a book and she doesn't read it, that's not your problem.

Give generously, give freely, if you are going to give a gift. Then think about it no more.

If you give your love to someone, give generously, give freely. Give again, but don't calculate any benefit or expectations. (like, "if I love you, then you should do x, y, and z.")

For love is something if you give it away,
Give it away, give it away.
Love is something if you give it away,
You end up having more.

Money's dandy and we like to use it,
But love is better if you don't refuse it.
It's a treasure and you'll never lose it
Unless you lock up your door.
--- Malvina Reynolds, communist folk singer

if you use a metaphor...take someone who has some spare time; he can either use it to watch tv, or read a book, or he can make something to give as a gift. If he enjoys making the object, or whatever it is, then he has gained in the process of giving, after he has given the gift to someone. win win in that case.