And society has a great deal to do with it.
Cultural heroes (who are in my book, zeroes) are the "move fast and break things" sociopaths who amass billions by robbing people of their dignity. The entire Ayn Rand silicon valley culture is like this. Immense ego and zero responsibility (parents! What are you teaching by your example?)
Yeah I grew up in the 50's and 60's and wanted to be Hopalong Cassidy. But there wasn't this sense of destroying people to get to the top, at least until I went to college and ran into business types (I was and am the scientific and artistic type). And by then, gray flannel suits and Willy Loman were becoming corporate marauders.
And Vietnam destroyed a lot of the authentic hero image.
Sports "heroes" weren't holding out for $20 million yearly average.
Now, any truly benevolent individual (Let's talk Joe Biden) is bashed mercilessly, and the mood is more like the disillusionment of Full Metal Jacket and Glengarry, Glenross. I wouldn't expect younger folks to be familiar with Catch 22 and Doctor Strangelove, which did have a comedic touch. The former, none at all, and while I'm not in contact with younger people, I get that sense, and also that theie lives are exposed on social media and held to brutal comparison.
As a non-athletic type, I got away with being nerdy because nobody really cared. Now, I'd be torn to pieces.
Anyway, some thoughts about what society "expects" and the lack of time for reading, reflection , arts and building self-confidence in a near neighborhood of accepting people, who don't constantly make comparisons.
The only counterexample I can find is my Buddhist group, which highly cherishes and encourages young people for their individual talents and infinite possibilities, regardless of their identities or situation. Happiness is not to be defined by extrinsic measures.
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