Comment by erelong

I do think it's about the incentives, but I've had conversations elsewhere between a perceived distinction between "morals" and, for lack of a better word, "ethics"

Morals you might not want to violate under nearly any circumstances: theft, violent crime, and so on, regardless if there are "good incentives" for you to do so.

"Ethics" might be more of things that produce bad outcomes but aren't a "sin". You might choose to uphold a personal ethic for example against participating in some of these practices which seem to make society worse over time, but which might personally benefit you. But you might not be under a "moral obligation" to do so.

Or, for example, otherwise violence might be a bad thing, but violence used in self-defense is generally accepted as being "ok". You might out of "self-defense" do some of these things that otherwise seem to produce "bad outcomes for society", out of coercion by the mass of people making "bad" decisions. But you might also "virtuously abstain", for whatever reason, as well.