Another inspiring read.
We live in a time where the socio-economic environment is such that all attention is considered good attention and all publicity is considered good publicity. The media and every other organizations exploits this fact.
What you mention in the post is a matter of realization but more so a matter of deliberate choice. Your words are perfect when you say 'our dirty little secret'. Even as our subconscious realizes it, we choose to look the other way to justify our state of inaction.
I think the grab for attention and 'lack of quiet' also drowns out our inner voice that says, take a step back a moment.
It's as if the opportunities to take that step back are becoming scarcer and that just feeds this cycle. The onus of finding that quiet to get a better perspective now lies solely with us. Earlier the society itself would allow us these moments. Not now.
We have been hacked. For me, writing is my slowdown and has helped to discover and reduce a lot of the useless from my life.
Edit: my wife scraped through ;)
For me reading is.........
I heard that, LOL!