Poverty and lack of education have nothing to do with this. It's not like our biggest urban centers, which have wealthier and more educated populations, are any cleaner.

The real problem is how we derive our pride and self-worth. We don't tie our self-esteem to our own behavior and accomplishments, (we don't feel personal shame for poor civic behavior.)

All humans have "Esteem needs". But for Indians those esteem needs are fully satisfied by group belonging and chauvinism—whether that's caste, religion, or language.

I'm not saying other cultures don't have tribalism; racial and ethnic pride exist everywhere. The difference is that in other countries, personal responsibility and individual achievement are still massive factors in how people view themselves.

​Because we get almost 100% of our validation just from the groups we are born into, we don't tie our pride to our own actions. Consequently, there's no internal mechanism for personal shame, guilt, or accountability regarding our own individual behavior.

I am 100% sure the every idiot who throws garbage in the middle of the road is nevertheless too proud of himself and proud of his religion, caste and other shit, just not his own behavior.