Things were scary, so we made society into the Panopticon, which is famously beloved by its inhabitants.

You have to do this stupid stuff now, so that you have access to stupid stuff later, so that you can be qualified to apply for stupid things, so that you can be selected by stupid people, in order to do other stupid things, so that you can eventually start doing what matters

I wish that we would all focus on doing good for all, not just doing good for those who think like us. It is not empathy if you only give it to your side, that is just tribal loyalty.