Working simply just for merit

Fate, karma and the order of everything are all closely tied together, and one can’t work towards one without touching another.
Beings that try to achieve the peak of their existence will come to an understanding: cause-and-effect truly exists, and if one’s history is not satisfactory, their endeavour may fail.
Due to this revelation being written down by the almighty figures of ages past, new cultivators and new experts have always tried to stay on the good side of existence, and accumulate merit.
Despite this new approach that seemingly is just and proper, the number of truly outstanding individuals is getting lower and lower.
Why is it that this happens in every era that we’ve observed?
The civilisations evolve, advance, methods of cultivating certain fields and domains of knowledge become widespread.
Then the power of the civilisation spikes up, but after a long period of time it normalises which is alright, as this is in the scenario where the civilisation is free of karmic knowledge.
But if the karmic knowledge is widespread, then everyone tries to minimise karmic burden and negative merit, thus everyone being hardworking towards the same goal: accumulating merit.
People helping people, masters wholeheartedly sharing their knowledge even the secret ones, and wars happening rarely and mostly due to demonic and outsider influences.
These eras were plenty and the most peaceful and richest, yet they were the most disappointing ones as well.
Only the outcasts, rebels and deviants were able to truly reach the peak of their existence.
Why is it that this happens, over and over and over again?
It’s because to chase merits is going against the entire nature of gaining merits.
If one’s help, goodness, kindness, patience is solely based on the desire to be awarded by the greater forces at play, is one truly in possession of these qualities?
While chasing the possibility of being rewarded, people started to forget themselves.
Was it a better civilisation?
It’s hard to say, as while crimes, infighting were almost non-existent, sadly the same could be said to innovations and high spikes in advancement.
Without a proper competitive environment and without the challenges of opposing views, civilisations slowed down or even stagnated.
And let’s not forget about losing oneself.
Being solely focused on getting merits one behaved in ways that they wouldn’t normally behave, even if after a while, this behaviour became the norm for them.
Solely for the sake of good luck, merits and an easier fate people tried to behave “nicely”, but how could mere mortals understand how the higher entities work?
Why would simply being “good”, “kind” or “helpful” be enough to be labelled as a worthy creature of the universe?
Why would it be enough for one to be rewarded with merits?
Being rewarded by the universe itself is a grand matter, and mundane things aren’t enough to get the recognition of the higher entities.
Why are the stories from the olden ages full of great, epic heroic sagas?
Because, it’s the struggle of the weak in front of the insurmountable obstacle, and the eventual victory of the weak, is what garners the true recognition of the higher entities, thus the award of merits.
 The great ancient experts were right when they declared that merits, and good behaviour can accrue positive karma, thus easing one’s tribulations, but they weren’t aware of the complete truth.
Working simply just for merit, and for rewards won’t be able to satisfy even one’s soul, let alone the greater forces at work.