I was just reading an interesting article on how/what one mother (and other parents) are "teaching their children to share". Here's the link, it's not a long read. http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/04/22/this-mom-explains-why-she-does-not-teach-her-kids-to-share/ Basically, she and other parents are not encouraging their children to "give up a toy" to another child in the name of sharing unless they choose to do so, as opposed to "give the toy to the other kid because they want it and that means you should give it up" aka, "share". How do you define the act of sharing? Is it based on the actions of the giver, or the recipient? Is it based on the decision/choices of the giver or the wants/desires of the recipient? Is sharing something you do, or something that you expect? Since I am asking the reader and other members to honestly self-assess and reply with how they define sharing, I am going to hide my thoughts in a spoiler. But please, answer before you read my personal views as I am interested in hearing the opinions of others and don't want to pressure or influence someone to alter their honest view in order to comply with or address my own opinion. [spoiler]Personal Opinion, your views and actual mileage may vary. It's such a difference in opinion on how the term "sharing" is defined. Some might argue that it's just semantics (where the common usage is "let's agree to disagree on the meaning, so we can both preserve our personal definition"), but it is important for people (both adults and children) to learn that sharing is the act of "this is mine but I will let you use/have it", not "I don't care whose that is, I want it". We (hopefully) learn sharing early on. We (again, hopefully) discover the rewards of giving something that is ours (an object, time, attention, affection) to someone else because we want or choose to do so. Those rewards can range from a warm feeling inside, to the joy of seeing someone else's eyes light up, to hearing them sincerely thank you, to know that you gave and they appreciated. As we grow, sharing can blossom into concepts and actions such as benevolence, charity, and love. The other side of the exchange, can go two ways. The gracious receipt and acknowledgement that I now have what was yours and you gave to me freely is one, the other is "you were obligated to give it to me because I wanted/needed it." The first is true sharing. The second? It is not. It is based on envy. The idea that the recipient is owed or due what the "sharer" gives. That is not sharing, that is theft. Theft by guilt, by coercion, by emotional/social blackmail. Such an "exchange" removes the first party's free will and ability to act in a giving way and flips the idea on its head to where the recipient is due whatever others have.[/spoiler]