I somewhat agree with PantheraTigris. I think it's great to take risks and gamble something. Hell, I once gambled twenty bucks on one hand in seven-card stud (a version of "Poker", for those of you not in the know), and left the table with fifty bucks.
But to completely jump-ship... I always think that caution is good too. One must have a system of morals. I have come to the conclusion that life is one great balance. In the end, whether you live to see it or not, things balance themselves out. All your bad luck and being ostrocized shall one day disappear, and you shall find yourself a happy man.
A quote from Julius Caesar:
"When the gods wish to take vengeance on humans for their crimes, they usually grant them , for a time, considerable success and quite a lengthy period of impunity, so that when their fortunes are reversed they will feel it more bitterly."
Even if you don't believe in Caesar's religion (I don't), or any religion for that matter, you can see it plainly that sometimes you have bad luck and sometimes you have good. Everything balances out, man.
Take risks, but don't abandon caution.