There’s a reason nice guys finish last. It can be good to be nice, but niceness is not the only part of a well-balanced character. The will to jump for cash is frowned upon by many moral-minded “better-thans”. So much evil is done in the name of so-called “virtue”. Even the desire to be a good person often cloaks a feeling of superiority.
So, that hesitancy to leap at the chance to make money—was it really, purely virtue? Or, was it a way to feel holier than others while staying inside the comfort zone? Earning money is also virtuous.