Some people use it as a shaming device, which is rarely constructive. Many, many others simply use it as a means of gaining a better (more compassionate) ethic

Some people use it as a shaming device, which is rarely constructive. Many, many others simply use it as a means of gaining a better (more compassionate) ethical understanding of the world. Unless you subscribe to a Rand-ish "altruism = bad" ideology, it's perfectly possible to understand contextual factors that you benefit from, understand that others do not, and--even if you don't actively spend resources to improve that system--at least keep its existence in mind when interacting with others and understanding the world. None of that requires you to feel shame. It's like going up to a random person at an international airport: knowledge of the existence of other languages means you don't automatically assume that person speaks English. You don't have to be ashamed of speaking English, or learn their language, but knowing why they might not understand what you say to them can sure help you avoid being an ass.