Nothing is Free

Nothing is free! There is always a cost. If you get it free, it is because somebody paid for it. Next time you are about to accept a free offer or service, think about the person bearing the cost. Free will only last as long as the person paying can afford it. The person must be able and willing to continue giving the free stuff. If any of these components is missing, the chain will be broken, and the free stuff will stop flowing. This is why charity, in the long run, is toxic and unsustainable.

Free in the long run is not sustainable because the process of productivity is short-circuited. For productivity to continue unabated, it is imperative that giving and receiving are not interrupted. The giver must accept, and the receiver must provide. If this give and receive cycle is broken because it has become a one-way street, productivity will suffer. 

It is counter-intuitive to think that being just at the receiving end will hurt the receiver eventually. If you believe that receiving free stuff from other people is smart, you sacrifice your productivity and remain poor. As harsh as this may sound, there is a connection between the desire for free stuff and poverty.