Long-term: probably better. Short-term: worse. When you blow whistles and take moral stands, you're jumping away from a local maximum and the gradient is a very

Long-term: probably better. Short-term: worse. When you blow whistles and take moral stands, you're jumping away from a local maximum and the gradient is a very steep downward one. If you recognize my name, you probably know that I have taken a lot of moral stands and have a colorful reputation. It makes your life a lot more volatile. That is true. Over time, though, people respect you. See, the one thing you actually can't afford is low social status; you're better to come off as a moralistic but high-status person than a wimp.