Why Kindness Is Absent in Economic Models

Kindness is important in society and religious doctrine, but it is almost completely absent in economics. The main reason for this absence is that economic models focus on trade-offs and optimizing costs and benefits. Acts of kindness have only benefits and no real costs, so economists do not bother modeling them. Economic thinking differs from the Christian scriptures because economists assume that kindness is obvious and do not feel the need to remind people, while the gospel emphasizes the importance of kindness. In this regard, the gospel wins over economic thinking.