But show me where someone with worse principles defeats someone with better principles. You'll never prove this. It's impossible. Nature and God have a law: the superior always beats the inferior. Superior in what? In whatever way they're actually superior. One body is stronger than another. Many people are stronger than one person. A thief is better at stealing than someone who isn't a thief. That's why I lost my lamp — the thief was better than me at staying awake. But look at what the man paid for that lamp. He became a thief, a liar, and a beast. He thought it was a good deal. Fine, let him have it.
But show me that he who has the inferior principles overpowers him who is superior in principles. You will never show this, nor come near showing it; for this is the law of nature and of God that the superior shall always overpower the inferior. In what? In that in which it is superior. One body is stronger than another: many are stronger than one: the thief is stronger than he who is not a thief. This is the reason why I also lost my lamp, because in wakefulness the thief was superior to me. But the man bought the lamp at this price: for a lamp he became a thief, a faithless fellow, and like a wild beast. This seemed to him a good bargain. Be it so.