There are multiple ways to approach this, but first some context

I identity as an agonistic atheist/ex-muslim and am gay men living in a muslim country. Right now my fear of consequence relates to being found out and killed/losing my job/ put in prison/ becoming homeless or becoming braindead /paralyzed/living with agonizing pain if i try to kill myself, plus the guilt of leaving my family with no money, so yeah. Historically for me, trying to make sense of human nature has been hell itself. There is my sister who identifies as a leftist communist progressive Muslim and then there is mom who calls Black people slaves and servants and think women shouldn’t be allowed to drive(also has on multiple occasions has called my sister then 13 years old daughter “jokingly” a slut). Trying to put the whole of humanity, from all over the world, from all of time into one of two binary boxes is dumb. We do’nt to that to other spices, so why humans. We don’t label all cats, all dogs or all birds as ultimately good or bad, they just are.

Ironically, this is the same argument alot of reglions/reglious people use to control thier followers, enternal damnation and all. In fact, i have personal experience with this way of thinking. Were i am from, we are tough that the west is all hedonist and only care about this plane of existence and we are morally superior and so on.

Another point of view is, the opposite can also be true, when i am in a bank and filling in a forum and someone needs a pen, i give them an extra pen i brought with me or when i finished my business and lingerie a bit if someone else needs a pen or when i get into the elevator and hold the door open for a little bit in case someone comes or when holding the door open for people or just saying thank you. Its little things but they make a difference in my day.

Also as some other commenters have said i just don’t think about raping people, like if the only thing stopping me is consequence, then it make sense to think that is all i ever think of . Its not like i don’t have impulsive thoughts like slapping someone while in a moving bus and have thought about killing my abusive father in the past more times then i can count. Those things are either very tame and uncommon thoughts or brought on under extreme circumstances and even then, i didn’t act on them.

It should also be pointed out that such narratives benefit those in power. As zoe bee said in her video governments don’t panic, people do. Also nulear Apocalypse was only avoided due to the dystopian threat of mutual destruction which was going to be caused in the first place by an error.

Lastly, saying that those are realistic heroes is cringe, you are a least 30 years late to the party.