We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18099434 and marked it off-topic.

Most people are happier if they know that they are actively contributing to the world or at least to others people's happiness. Whether that applies to you is a question you have to answer yourself.

I wouldn't want to live my life knowing that I'm trying to pull everyone and everything over the table and that i make others miserable wherever I go.

If you want to find a business reason: long term relationships and trust both are valuable and build future business and new connections. But, really, the first reason should be enough.

Indeed the idea is to make the adversary feel as though they’re getting a fair deal. The risk of exploiting them is that they might find out and now you’ve damaged your own reputation. Forcing the adversary to consider your perspective with empathy will allow them to recognize the unfair aspects of their deal and renegotiate for you.

It’s not that you shouldn’t exploit them (though in most cases it’s grately beneficial to both parties if you don’t), it’s that if you’re doing it right, you don’t need to in most cases.

There’s always exceptions, but the concept of approaching any deal with a core principle of exploiting the other party is a flawed strategy.

Because doing so desensitizes you to the pain and suffering of others.

Maybe a society full of sociopaths can get along just fine, but I'd rather not run that experiment.

That’s a really interesting question to consider.

If a business uses your skills to make a profit are you being exploited?

Does it make a difference if you get free lunch, massages, $300k salary, RSUs? Are you still being exploited? Where’s the line...

Because typically people figure it out eventually and then they are really angry. At the end of the day, all you really have is your reputation, and you don't want to be known as an exploitative asshole.

Because uncompromisingly compassionate behaviour towards other human beings is the ultimate and best way to make a world better place. Unless you are a billionare and can compete in funding woth nation states.

We are social animals that thrive in groups, not as lone individuals. This requires certain social behaviors.