That assumes that your goal is to get to "the top," though. And the world being a tough, competitive place was much less (directly) relevant, and to many fewer

That assumes that your goal is to get to "the top," though. And the world being a tough, competitive place was much less (directly) relevant, and to many fewer people, just 20 or 30 years ago when they could nestle into their own communities and occasionally decry the state of the world as seen through newspapers and the 6:00 news. I'll speculate that we're seeing more high-profile stories about "unremarkable person does a peaceful thing" because the internet allows it. It used to be, that stories of exceptional drive or grit were likely to appeal to gritty, driven publishing executives, back when publishing (or syndication) involved offices full of people doing things to pieces of paper. These days, you can publish worldwide from your smartphone, and the people who _aren't_ filled with grit and drive can at least summon a "like" when they see someone doing something that resonates with them.