The Real Cost of Shortcuts is Peace.

Last week, I almost took a shortcut.
Nothing major. Just one of those “no one will know” moments.

Then this line from Marcus Aurelius hit me:

“The person who does wrong, does wrong to themselves.”

I paused and thought, How do I feel when I do something wrong?
Not proud. Not powerful.
Just… unsettled.

You think cutting corners saves time or helps you win faster.
But it actually disrupts your peace.

That tiny voice in your head doesn’t shut up.
You replay it later. You justify it. You lose energy.

That’s when it clicked.
Wrongdoing isn’t a moral issue.
It’s a cost-benefit issue.

The cost is your inner calm.
The benefit is short-lived.

So I’ve started asking myself one quick question before every grey-area decision:
“Is this worth the hit to my self-respect?”

Most of the time, the answer is no.
Integrity compounds. So does guilt.