Adding value without adding to GDP

Some of the best ways of adding value don’t add anything to GDP:

• Caring for a disabled loved one
• Contributing to Wikipedia
• Building a free platform like Khan Academy
• Volunteering at a homeless shelter

These activities clearly benefit people and society, yet don’t add anything to GDP. Not directly at least. Another thing I’ve noticed that.. when you think of the many ways of which one could add value without adding to GDP, very often, those methods are extremely good and honorable things! They are sometimes better than the methods which do add value to GDP.

So the next time you are adding value, forget about whether or not it’s paying you monetarily, and just take pride in adding raw value.

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” — Charles Dickens