Column · cost of wrong yes
Because it is socially cheaper in the moment. Refusing requires an explanation; accepting requires only enthusiasm. The cost of acceptance arrives later and is attributed to the work rather than to the decision.
Time, attention, and the opportunity that would have occupied the same slot. The last one is invisible, which is why it is never counted.
Ask: if this succeeds, does it leave me with more of what compounds — skill, record, relationship, reputation — or with money only? Money only is a legitimate answer, but it should be a deliberate one.
"I cannot take this on and do it well." That is not a rejection of the person; it is a statement about capacity, and it is usually believed.
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