What’s the ROI on a clear conscience?

What’s the return on investment of a clear conscience? 

If you fudge the numbers on your tax return, or say you’re “out of town” when you’re not, or cut a long line at the airport, it may seem like you’re simply maximizing. It may seem like you’re doing what needs to be done in order to keep your main character narrative on track. But there’s a cost to these things. 

The cost is the clarity of your conscience. 

Because when we tell white lies and make creative excuses, we now have to look over our shoulder. The cost is added anxiety. Another storyline hanging in the mental closet. It’s something we have to remember, a story we have to keep straight, another excuse we need to prepare. 

What’s the cost of that? 

Doing the right thing has costs as well, of course. We might not keep as much profit. We might end up going to things that aren’t fun. We might be late to things, or be forced into tough conversations. We’re good at considering these costs when we make creative excuses. But having a cloudy conscience has costs, too, and we’re not so quick to consider those costs. 

This calculus changes for everyone. The conscience is not a steady figure, or a simple equation. But assuming you still believe in some semblance of right and wrong, then your decisions have costs. Maybe the costs of a clear conscience end up being less than all the advantages we try to gain.

What’s the return on investment of a clear conscience?