Just a fair warning: this piece is drawn-out and long read. Apropos of the second question, I’m inclined to think that different countries have different levels of altruism and the like. Destructive altruism is a part of our culture – it’s expected from you to do the job of another if they were to abandon the task you’re both doing together. For example, our educational system is set in such a way that it inhibits the hard-working children who are more introverted to stand up for themselves. Why, you might ask? If the job hasn’t been done, and your peers from school are reluctant and dismissive of their duties, the fault’s going to fall on you. But you are not about to spend hours upon hours of your already limited time on the work which should’ve been divided. One person cannot put the whole class (a collective) before his/her own health, therefore make the sacrifice everyone else is expecting from them. Sacrifice here is a given, no matter what the circumstances might be. At the end of the parade, many youngsters opt out of the decision to do solely their part of the project, and end up keeping more than just one end of the bargain. The reasoning behind the subservience is that you’ll be both “cast off” from the peer group and be “punished”, because the project group did not function properly. When it comes to me, I pay no heed for things akin to this. I’m doing what’s right, and lending the hand to the ones who deserve the help.
