"What benefit is there to being a fair and virtuous person in a sick and unfair world?" Not tragic to ask this question as a young man, especially if it's removed from the context of spirituality. Strictly speaking - in a pragmatic and material sense. You can be Machiavellian about it. You can be a snake. You can win unfairly. You can lie yourself into success. You can win at any cost. You can be brutal and unforgiving. You can be merciless in your pursuit of personal gain. You can trample the dreams of others to achieve your own. You can strongarm others into serving your interests. You can do all these things. They are readily available and very much real, and very much an option. Those are all benefits gained from playing the game and not being played by it. But the benefit lost is the table you don't get to sit on. And that's the table where all truly great men find themselves. Among other truly great men. Because morality is very much an elitist thing, it has the highest standards. Respect is easily lost and so is trust, and so is loyalty and friendship. Make no mistake, you will win if you are without morals. You will win easier and more often. Life will come easy to you. But you will always celebrate alone. You will live in a pit of snakes, always. Your circle will be comprised of others just like you, or worse. There's no roundtable to be had in that circle. There is only one chair and everyone wants to sit. That will be the price of your ways. Your seat at the table.