Turning down money that comes with strings you don’t respect is a flex you’ll never regret.

Money that arrives with conditions you do not respect is not free money with a small catch attached. The condition is the product, and you find that out later, when you are being asked for the thing you already agreed to without reading it properly. The amount always looks large next to a condition that has not been tested yet.

Ask what you are actually agreeing to before accepting anything, including from people who seem nice about it. If the answer involves staying quiet about something that matters to you, that is the price, and you are allowed to decide it is too high.