Billions asks what you have to be willing to give up to get what you want

Billions asks what you have to be willing to give up to get what you wantBillions asks what you have to be willing to give up to get what you wantWhat does it profit a man, if he gains the world but loses his soul?This old proverb, spoken by Jesus Christ (or, according to college freshmen,Bob Marley), reflects on the idea of sacrifice and priorities.Its a question that philosophers, artists, and politicians have been asking for thousands of years? Is it worth getting what you want if you have to give up all of your morals and integrity in order to get it? And in the latest episode ofBillions, we learn that for Chuck, the answer is a resounding and emphatic Yes.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe aspiring State Attorney General finds himself backed against a wall in this episode, as he discovers that an article is set to be released that will reveal during his time asAttorney for Southern District of New York State, Chuck declined to prosecute Sugar Vape for marketing to kids despite being decidedly non-kid-friendly (unsurprisingly, the decision came due to the fact thatChucks dadis friendly with Sugar Vapes CEO). Chuck tries to kill the story but ultimately, it reaches the public and suddenly, he is facing a severely uphill battle in his upcoming election.So what does Chuck do? He meets with Axe and hemakes his enemy-turned-frenemy an offer he cant refuse Help Chuck get elected and he will have unlimited access to favors from the State Attorney General. Its a clear win for Axe and he quickly agrees. But when Chuck asks him what favor he wants, Axe coyly lets him know that hell collectwhen the war is over.Whatever this favor is, its going to be massive but for Chuck, the idea of backing down or giving up isnt even an option. To get what he wants, hes willing to hurt others but more importantly, at least in the morally corruptBillionsuniverse, hes willing to hurt himself.The ends always justifythe means and he will ruthlessly lie, cheat, steal, betray, and even humiliate himself in order to get where he is trying to go.So exactly how low is Chuck willing to go in order to ensure that he is the next State Attorney General? Just look at what he tells Axe during their meeting.I have traded pleasantries and handshakes with some truly disagreeable people and whatever it says about me as a person, Ill admit, Im willing to do it with a million more of them to achieve my ends, Chuck says with equal amounts of self-loathing and pride.Chuck sees the world as a game in which only two things matter survival and power. But will his blind pursuit of power ultimately cost him his survival instincts? Only time will tell but knowing how ruthless Axe can be, dont be surprised if whatever favor he ends up asking of Chuck will manage to break Chuck in spectacular fashion. And by the end of the season, Chuck may even find himself wondering if he should hav e spent less time trying to gain the world and more time trying to hold onto whatever semblance of a soul he has left.This article originally appeared on Fatherly.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people