it's a quote from a movie. the premise being that as long as humans compete with each other for resources, there will be some they take most of the pie, and others that struggle for the remaining scraps. it's more a philosophical take on the human condition. the take is just that - winners and losers is arbitrary because humans will always view their successes and failures in direct comparison with others, regardless of whether from an absolute perspective their general condition or their share of the pie or the degree of wealth equality has improved. it's definitely helpful for understanding the human psyche. calling it circular reasoning misses the point.