There are no great triumphs any more. There are no causes to fight for. Nothing that isn't hopeless, anyway. For example, think about your job. What do you want to do with your life? What are you doing with your life? You will most likely end up working, no matter what your choice, for some corporation which will designate you a number. You will make someone a lot of money, and for what?
Maybe you like computers. All you can do is write a program which will be distributed and licensed under the name of some giant conglomerate. Microsoft. Who hasn't heard of Microsoft? Name one piece of software that hasn't become either illegal or purchased that is not owned by a large company. IBM. Intel. Whatever. If you do write something worth using, and it does catch on, it will either be bought or completely ripped off by a larger corporation. Microsoft Frontpage was originally created by an independant maker. Apple are just being fucked for not conforming.
Maybe you want to be famous by having a big dream, something that was fantasy for you in your childhood. I want to go to Mars. I want to explore space. I want to find the cure for cancer, aids, whatever. Maybe you have good intentions.
But consider this:
Governments aren't powerful, or rich enough, to support such feats. The "space race" couldn't happen these days. A large company would do it better, do it first, do it cheaper, and make a profit on it. They can afford to spend more money, to get the marketing flowing, to have sponsorship by larger corporations to make more money so they can afford more marketing, etc, etc. The McDonalds Mars Launch, sponsored by Coca Cola.
A single government or country can't afford to colonise space, or any part of it.
Science needs funding, or else it won't succeed. Research grants, staff benefits, whatever, it is all necessary to complete. The cure for cancer won't come in a university laboritory. It will come in a large chemical manufacturers warehouse, and it will be kept so tightly under raps that no other company can copy the secret. When it comes, it will be charged at amazing prices, since this company owns the rights to the cure for whatever. I have cancer... that'll be $4999.95 please... who wouldn't pay it? Die, or pay $5000... where would you stop? $100000? How much is life worth? How much would you pay?
Do you think companies don't realise this? Do you think they don't see this and they don't see dollar-signs flashing in their eyes?
You can have your good intentions. Sure. You are innocent. Study medicine for the goodness of mankind. Research. Study. Work hard. But you're just making a tyrant a lot of money.
Well what's left? You can't not sell out. Everyone sells out in the end. You get a job, you need to pay the rent and buy what you need and you don't need but you'd like anyway. You let it eat up your life and the "idealism" you had when you were younger seems so impractical. Idealism, morals, whatever. When you used to think something was wrong, well, you never needed to have to pay the electricity, right?
You let it eat up your life. It's growing. It gets to the stage where the middle-age dilemma of adults selling out becomes something that people of all ages are guilty of... it ends up that you're a teenager, and you can't keep a relationship that means a lot to you because you're too busy with work and school - have to buy clothes and CD's and such, and have to work hard at school so you can get that job when you're middle-aged that will make someone else a lot of money. You're a university student who doesn't want to work, since it's something that shouldn't happen until you're much, much older, but you've no choice. You sell out. You need to buy things, need, want, desire, whatever.
The alternative? Who hasn't sold out? A few musicians that act on their causes, maybe. Other than that, there's no one. Your parents certainly sold out, unless they're growing their own fruit and vegetables, don't own a car, don't need money, etc. Which really isn't likely.