This kind of caution is not cost-free. In itself it uses up time, energy, and other resources; by assumption this challenge often affects people who don’t have a lot of time, energy, or resources to spare. But in addition such caution can either improve or damage our image in the eyes of people around us. Careful examination and weighing of potential commitments may be seen—often rightly—as a sign of trustworthiness, of being the kind of person who takes commitments seriously and is anxious not to incur debts that cannot be repaid. On the other hand, if this is read as ostentatious or
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