You're right on with the soap opera analogy, and I think the main issue stems from indoctrination and cognitive dissonance. I just recently heard someone give the analogy: Imagine you are the type of person who would stop along the highway to help someone, who is in need. You get out to discover 12 people bleeding to death in the ditch, and you can help to save them, but two hands will only save one life. What you do next, is yell and wave from the shoulder of the highway, for others to pull over and help save more lives. The issue is that the people driving in the passing lane can't hear you at all, and the situation, from their personal perspective in life, is already burdensome or busy enough to pay attention to you. This would go all the way up to full blown sociopath, also. Then, there are the people in the closest lane. Sadly, most of them can hear you, or do notice something's wrong, but don't carry enough empathetic feeling/self confidence to act, or just outright refuse to admit anything is wrong, because of how much it would shake their innermost beliefs of what existence is really for. Didn't mean to ramble, but thought I would share.