> For the furtherance of human happiness, I have always maintained that it is necessary to prove that man is not even at present a vicious and detestable animal; and still more to prove that good management may greatly amend him; and it is for much the same reason, that I am anxious to see the opinion established, that there are fair characters existing among the individuals of the race; for the moment that all men, without exception, shall be conceived abandoned, good people will cease efforts deemed to be hopeless, and perhaps think of taking their share in the scramble of life, or at least of making it comfortable principally for themselves

1783, one man sends a letter to convince another to write about his virtues to make man great. The man wrote about his virtues. Instead we got virtue signalling and sill the worst of humans, except now you get vilified and destitute if you won't lie emptily about your virtues like everybody else does