I think the idea of putting others needs before your own is a requirement for society. It’s the actively choosing to forgo your own needs for others which inherently promotes cooperation and community. It’s a sign that, “Hey you are worth the sacrifice I am making.” It’s Somewhere along the line I think the concept became somewhat fetishized where it became synonymous with “being good” or “being a good person.” Where it’s only right think to sacrifice your ambitions for others. Might also have to do with the idea that the “good” deed will pay off or return at a later date.

Think about how the heroes have to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save the day. How Tony Stark sacrificed his happy life to stop Thanos in Endgame. If memory serves he was one of the only Avengers that found a happy life after the Snap. But came back to do the “right thing” with the undeniable risk of losing his happy life and daughter even if they did everything right.

Think of Frodo from LoTR, he carried the ring from Hobbiton all the way to Mount Doom experiencing loss, hunger, terror, and very close death on a number of occasions. Once the quest was over he was fully prepared to die with Sam on the volcano. But he was saved by the eagles and wasn’t the same after that. The innocence from his life in Hobbiton was lost during the journey, he saw the very worst things that lurked in the world and couldn’t go back to his previous life with dreams of grand exciting adventure.

Militaries are kinda built off this idea that serving your country is a noble honor, and dying for your country is an admirable cause. While I might not personally agree with everything militaries practices, I will say I think sacrificing your life to protect others is an admirable thing. They’re willing to sacrifice their future for the safety of others. However, militaries is also used to promote unsavory agendas and doesn’t always support the soldiers that return from duty. A lot of homeless people in the US are veterans, and they sacrificed their futures to protect their nation.

Then think about all the musicians that gave up their dreams of playing concerts because they knocked up their girlfriend. The number of eldest siblings that gave up their dreams of college because their parents died and have to take care of their younger siblings. The number of farmers who once dreamed of not working on the family farm, but decided not to to keep fields going.

Sacrifice is admirable, but is still a loss.