I think we agree that there is everyday value to recognizing and rewarding good choices on an individual level. But if we're talking about how society is structured, and you think that people who make poor choices deserve a systemically-accepted low quality of life, then we disagree.
If someone makes poor choices, they aren't employable, etc. I'm fine with that. But if the reason they make those choices comes down to lack of education, poor parenting, or just a crappy draw from the genetic lottery, I don't think a society that blames people for that is a healthy society in the long term.
It's an individual vs. societal perspective, or maybe daily vs. long term issue. It might feel like cognitive dissonance, but your behavior to individuals can be different from the policies for which you advocate.
