One is often drawn in by lofty ideals, whether on 
purpose
or by things beyond one’s control.
One strives to maintain a facade of
integrity
even as one watches the degradation of the world.
One finds that the thing we once called
humanity
has become an illness to which we are all subject.
One cannot help but wonder if the greater 
intelligence
is that possessed by “dumb animals.”
One becomes disheartened to watch
empathy 
die out with altruism and honesty.
One grows older, the 
strength 
of youth being drained by life and its disappointments.
One finally lays to rest, realizing too late that
death
is the one virtue shared equally by all mankind.