Evolution favored energy conservation and risk aversion. Hard thinking consumes calories, causing discomfort (system 2 thinking), and loss looms larger than gain (loss bias).
Reliability, paradoxically, demands both: increased exposure to failure and persistent deep thought. Thus, the dependable carry heavier burdens, facing more risk and cognitive strain.
Yet, society extols these traits—trust and reliability are social currencies of highest value. This makes true dependability rare, a quiet rebellion against self-preservation. To be reliably virtuous is to endure a subtle self-inflicted hardship, elevating collective trust over personal ease.