You’re not imagining it: Air travel really is becoming more unpleasant. Sure, COVID-19, germophobia, and mask mandates were a short-term catalyst of bad airline behavior, but there’s a deeper problem causing the skies to become less friendly: We no longer think it’s good or important to treat other people well.

Doing unto others as you would have done unto you, or loving your neighbor, those are now derided as old-fashioned. At best, they’re bad business. At worst, they’re oppression or something.