It is always been the truth that small positive Deeds are unrecognized. I think the fact that people expect recognition for them is half the problem. Nobody should need a gold star or pick up a piece of litter or conserving gas in a crisis. They should be willing to do it out of self satisfaction in their personal lives, not out of shame for not doing it or recognition
GP: > I’m not sure anyone would even be aware of your deed
Agreed. Despite my tone above I think we can evolve to that, but this kind of evolution:
> They should be willing to do it out of self satisfaction in their personal lives, not out of shame for not doing it or recognition
requires cultural evolution on a different track than we are on. Our current culture has taken individualism and individual entitlement to an extreme, and we are spreading that around the world. Our economic system elevates selfishness to a virtue. And what people actually do when no one is looking is grab more cookies for themself from the cookie jar (and when people are looking they'll "share" that pilfered cookie with someone who has less).
I don't think individualism is synonymous with selfishness or entitlement.
>> I’m not sure anyone would even be aware of your deed
I think this mentality exemplifies selfishness more than individualism, and is in fact anti-individualist. The idea that goodness requires recognition is a denial of independent self worth and personal values outside of a social framework.
It speaks of a postmodern moral relativism, and an inability to recognize good or act without collective permission and instruction to do so.
