The human world is a lot bigger than us, and bigger than our own frustrations with it. The flaws in our species are older than Civilization itself, going back all the way to the time when they weren't flaws but simply the heritage of evolution in an unthinking species. With the power of volition arose civilized forms of all our animal instincts, and among these came the great evil institutions of sexism, racism, and so forth. Ideas, once fomented, and institutions, once established, are supremely difficult to wipe out. The human condition--because of its nature and the subsequent edifices we have built to affirm our nature--not only contains a great capacity for doing evil, but perhaps an even greater capacity for receiving the evil of others without defiance. So not only is it that many people inflict evil thoughtlessly or even deliberately, but many others when faced with this injustice will "roll over and take it," a saying that originates from the act of submitting to rape--one of the ultimate examples of people's ability to inflict and accept evil. The people of our species, far from being guided by the light of a benevolent deity, have nothing more to rely upon than their own instincts, the social norms around them, the commands of authority, and the haphazard capacity for critical thinking. It is no wonder at all that we are still in such a sorry state, especially given how new and recent our civil liberties and material comforts are.
What you are lamenting is the cruel fact that many people alive right now do not deserve to live, and many more simply have not earned any appreciable worth as individuals. What you are seeing is that many people alive right now will tolerate, condone, affirm, and promote the acts of evil which you so despise, even when their acquiescence harms them directly, either because they are too stupid, too beholden, or too afraid to know anything better.
If you focus only on that, it will swallow you. It will destroy you, turn you into a misanthrope, embitter you, dash your dreams, even corrupt you into the evil personages you so despise. You have a lot more life to live yet, if all goes well, and as you age your body will begin to fade and society will leave you and your tropes and traditions behind in favor of those of the coming generations. You will be vulnerable, and the frustrations you were unable to confront and subdue in your youth will become like a prison to you.
You must accept what the world is, what our species is, without letting the greater flaws of our nature and the injustices of the present day bring you to despair or wrath.
Once again I return to the observation that the human world is bigger than us individually, and there are many excellent things in it. There are wonderful people, who possess wisdom and power and wield them together to achieve greatness for themselves and our species. They enrich the opportunities of others, lift up the minds of those whose imaginations have nowhere to go. They bring us the delights of the senses, and the pleasures of the body, and all the treats of the thinking brain. These people have always existed, in all societies, all sexes, all skin colors, all ages, and even among right-handers...and they always will. Curiosity, imagination, ambition, intelligence, ethics, compassion, and discipline are as much a part of our heritage as rape and religious faith.
Look for those people in your life, and revive your energy in their example. They have their problems too, as you have yours, but if you take the time to seek out the cultures and persons who have done right by our Civilization, then you will be able to easily remember them in your times of need, and both their problems and yours will become surmountable, and you will be like the ones you admire...and others will look to you, and be refreshed.
Take comfort in the fact that humanity will get by without you. It does not all rest upon your shoulders. And if all else fails and our species comes to naught, the Earth will be habitable to life as we know it for probably another billion years--which is as long an era as the one behind us which saw the rise of all complex life. The web of life on this world will have another opportunity, if we fail, and such matters are none of our concern anyhow. Humanity has its chance now, and you have the sense and privilege to be a part of making good on that chance. Don't give up on it.
To that end, you face the same decision that I do. You do not have to assume responsibility for the entire species. It is a noble ambition, but impractical...and you need to gather immense power to do it, and the power does not dwell in the places where we might think it should. Whose actions have made the most difference in our lives? In almost any occupation, you can work toward a better society directly, by creating works and fleshing out truths that will guide us from our feral births toward a more golden future, and by taking power over others and holding yourself responsible for them. It's called leadership. But it's hard, and it breaks or exhausts many people who try.
Or, instead, you don't have to be a leader. You can focus on cultivating excellence in your own life and in those around you who have the will for it. You needn't burden yourself with directing the lives of others. You can live to pursue your own personal self-betterment. Such actions often end up improving the society anyway, and your civil responsibilities can still be discharged by voting, reading the news, and discussing the issues with your peers. And you can indulge in following the leaders who deserve your allegiance, by heeding their examples, aiding their cause, and supporting them with your individuality.
I don't actually know that becoming a leader is better than the alternative. There is so much wretchedness in our species that perhaps some people cannot be led to their benefit. Perhaps some people can only be ruled, and if so then why do we concern ourselves with them at all? So that they may live out their miseries in comfort? That is the burden of a society, not of individuals. There are many humans who don't want to become better people, many others who do not know what "better" truly even means, and others still who are incapable of self-betterment: the irredeemable.
They are not so great a proportion of our species, you know. And most of them were reduced to that state by their society and cultures, and not by genes alone. Thus, very few children are among the irredeemable, and we need to remember that. Iredeemability is a renewable curse. All the irredeemable people in the world right now will die soon enough. We should concern ourselves with not replacing them so readily.
You have a choice to make, and many opportunities ahead of you either way. You don't have to try and be responsible for others, but you can choose to try anyway. Either way, remember that the wider world is not just the crime and iniquity which so burdens our ethical consciences. If this species were a dead end, you wouldn't be here at all.
