> Most people don't find a small measure of indirect control equally reassuring as a large measure of direct control. For example I can directly control my water usage but have very little indirect control over the world's water usage. So psychologically things out of direct control tend to be felt like outside of control.

I think the evidence is overwhelmingly otherwise. Most people in many, many cultures embrace democracy, for example; they mass protest - a seemingly universal human behavior; they organize themselves to achieve political ends - including over water usage.

As I said, this powerlessness is a meme. I think it's not only self-defeating, it's dangerous to society - it's irresponsible, because we are all responsible and we need the mass participation we have historically had.