There are all sorts of things that a given person can concentrate their efforts upon – of which, some of those very things are virtuous and some of those things are not. So then, what an individual becomes has a lot to do with the effort that they put into what they devote their time, planning, and energies to, perhaps for the better, and perhaps not. What must be recognized, though, is that as sovereign individuals we are responsible for our own development and maturement -- and hence the ensuing result thereby, thus represents what we own as our character.
To be rich in virtue, is the wisest choice that anyone can ever make, for those that are virtuous, often have that virtue live on beyond them, because virtue consists of attributes such as integrity, courage, consideration, fairness, forgiveness, and empathy, which are the vital characteristics that help to make society a better and a more vibrant place. Because society learns not only from their own personal experiences but also from others that are part of those experiences, we know then for a certainty, that societies that have more people of good character, thus make for a better future for those that are members of such and hence that virtue lives on.
Regrettably, though, when many a person thinks of what really matters, they often think of being rich in money, and for those that concentrate upon the making of money, by any means so necessary, they are going to be strongly inclined to be not particularly virtuous, especially in those cases in which by being virtuous, they will thus miss out on the getting of that money. On the other hand, those that are rich in virtue, are those that not only have their priorities right, but recognize also that the very characteristics that make for the best of civil society, are based upon the people thereby behaving in a conscientious and virtuous manner. Indeed, all those that live within a dog-eat-dog world are not living in a world which prioritizes virtue, and hence that world will not be all that fair or civil, for the people that reside there.
So too, for those that complain about how unfair a given society is, what they are really saying is that the society that they are a member of, is not all that virtuous – for a virtuous society, really does take care of its own, because they see themselves as being part of the whole. To be virtuous then, isn’t really so much about an option or a lifestyle choice that is nice to have, but rather it is a mindset that is associated with the best of humankind, and those that lead by a good example, are the best type of people for a given society to have as its members. We are meant to be virtuous because we are meant to be good, and those that are virtuous are those then that care to do the right thing, even when tempted by outside forces or a weak will to do the wrong thing, for to be virtuous, is to not only hold the line, but to stand strong, come what may.