The problem is that despite how good it feels, individuals simply optimizing their individual activity does not scale to the societal scope. Post-agrarian humans literally behave and think via shared infrastructure. The only way individuals can make lasting improvements to society is to improve the infrastructure.

Individuals changing their behaviour can lead to societal change though.

Yes, but you are talking about contingencies. Optimism over dice rolls cannot excuse wasteful systems.

I'm talking about how nearly all progressive progress progresses. It swells up from individuals.

Does it? Or maybe those individual pop up and do their progressive thing only when existing infrastructure and technological landscape lets them do that?