Giving a shit has many personal benefits that go beyond the question of financial sustainability.<p>Career-wise, if you give a shit about your work and your colleagues this does add up to a reputation. When you do things "right", don't gossip or backstab, act with integrity and honesty, people notice. You'll be seen as trustworthy, a pillar to fall back on.<p>The thing is though, the person screwing everybody over and job hopping before the damage becomes visible may actually get more out of their career, financially. It's a rather philosophical question as to which character type you want to be.<p>Another reward of giving a shit is the gratitude people show, because it has become a rare behavior it seems.<p>For example, I'm running a web community (photography), non-profit, as a hobby. One particular user, an old Australian guy, is very much not tech savvy and recently I spent two nights in a row to get him onboarded again. He struggles with the simplest things but it's all good now.<p>To a calculating mind, this is a ridiculous investment of scarce free time with virtually no gain. The last part is where that mind couldn't be more wrong.<p>The man was almost in tears from gratitude. He's alone, struggles and nobody bothers to explain him anything, not even his family, most of which live far away. He got helped, by somebody he never met, for no particular reason but giving a shit.<p>I will remember that gratitude a decade from now. By comparison, a stranger could now send me 10K and it would mean absolutely nothing to me. I don't need it, I have my stuff. You can't buy deep and memorable human connections and moments, they are by definition a result of giving a shit.<p>Look at how little it takes and how giant the impact is. A company put genuine effort into a customer's table needs, and here we are.