right. But this attitude is partly the result of small (or large) doses of repression from above and the costs of "getting involved."[*] This is reinforced by social pressure from one's peers. There's a vicious circle of apathy, one that's encouraged by our fearless leaders.
when people find that being a leader (perhaps as a group) has some positive effect, this can lead to a virtuous circle. (Usually, it doesn't however.)
[*] a friend of mine discovered when he was 20 or so that his parents had been commies in the 1940s -- but they had been hiding it all that time.
-- Jim Devine "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.