In "Liar's Poker," Michael Lewis reflects on his experiences at Salomon Brothers, highlighting a fundamental lesson about the competitive nature of finance. He emphasizes that in this environment, gains for one party often come at the expense of another, creating a zero-sum game where every financial win translates into a loss for someone else.

This perspective reveals the stark realities of the financial industry, illustrating how transactions are not just a marketplace for goods and services, but a battle for resources. In such a setting, self-interest drives behavior, and collaboration can be rare, as success for one player typically means failure for another.