For the magnificent man is liberal, but the liberal man is not necessarily magnificent.
 Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (c. 334 BC - 330 BC). copy citation

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Author Aristotle
Source Nicomachean Ethics
Topic
Date c. 334 BC - 330 BC
Language English
Reference
Note Translated by W. D. Ross
Weblink http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.mb.txt

Context

“The man who in small or middling things spends according to the merits of the case is not called magnificent (e.g. the man who can say 'many a gift I gave the wanderer') , but only the man who does so in great things. For the magnificent man is liberal, but the liberal man is not necessarily magnificent. The deficiency of this state of character is called niggardliness, the excess vulgarity, lack of taste, and the like, which do not go to excess in the amount spent on right objects, but by showy expenditure in the wrong circumstances and the wrong manner;” source