Altruism and Responsibility

(This is a note to myself - something to be allowed to simmer on the back burner to see what develops.)

What does it do to a society when the concern for others becomes enshrined - and enforced - as the highest ideal?

A person who is taught to live for others learns that his life is supposed to be lived for him by others. What does this do to his sense of responsibility? How does a person who is not allowed to live his own life even develop one?

When a person fails to develop a sense of responsibility, does this not fit the definition of a sociopath?

This explains to me how, for instance, the Dark Ages became dark, including such things as entire towns being swept by mass hysteria.