The Opportunity Cost of Being Kind

Opportunity cost is a foundational concept in economics—every choice comeswith a trade-off. Spend an hour helping a colleague and that’s an hour notspent closing deals. Donate to a cause and that money can’t be reinvested inyour business. Kindness, while universally praised, isn’t free. And that’s whatmakes measuring its opportunity cost so challenging—and so important.

At first glance, kindness appears simple: holdthe door, write a thank-you note, mentor someone who needs guidance. But thereal cost is often hidden in what we didn’tdo—what we gave up in time, attention, or resources. It’s not always measurablein dollars or productivity metrics. Instead, it's reflected in delayed personalgoals, unseen promotions, or forgone profits.

This raises a tough question: if being kindslows you down or puts you at a disadvantage, is it still worth it?

Here’s where it gets complicated. The long-termROI of kindness is rarely immediate. The trust it builds, the culture itshapes, the loyalty it inspires—those outcomes compound quietly over time. Butbecause they don’t show up on a balance sheet or quarterly report, they’reoften undervalued.

So, the real challenge in measuring theopportunity cost of kindness isn’t just tallying what we gave up—it’s alsoacknowledging what we gained, even if wecan’t always quantify it.

Thetakeaway? Being kind does come with acost. But in a world increasingly driven by short-term wins, kindness may bethe most undervalued long-term investment we can make. And maybe, just maybe,its greatest return is the kind of life—and legacy—it helps you build.

Interested in more information or a quickconsultation, please contact GW Legacy Advisors serving Sioux Falls, RapidCity, Omaha, Fargo, Des Moines and the surrounding great plains region.  www.gw-legacy.com.

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