Does too much emphasis on our grievances bring us a less tolerant society?

For most of my life, there has been a sense of guilt underlying American society. Our history dates back to times when powerful nations basically conquered less powerful nations often enslaving their peoples. Large empires, such as Rome did it. This was the norm.

During my lifetime, rather than just accepting this, there has been a sense of guilt about oppression of the less powerful as well as guilt about damage done, to the natural environment, by industrialization. Attempts to create more multicultural societies that amalgamate different cultures under one roof have been prevalent in more modern times. Meanwhile most people continue just living their lives while utilizing the fruits of industrialization, some folks with a sense of guilt in the back of their minds, yet continuing to utilize the fruits of industrialization.

To some extent, we've developed a laidback, fairly tolerant society of compromise that tends to allow a wide variety of lifestyles within it. This has been the society I have lived my life in. Things have not been perfect and some people have expressed their grievances about the compromises of modern society. The history of more brutal conquest and repression is still remembered adding to the fuel of grievances.

It seems like now, maybe too much focus on grievances could be bringing us back to a situation where the aggrieved group with the most power wins. Our society, that has been a somewhat tolerant compromise of various subcultures, seems to be evolving more into a zero sum game of groups asserting their grievances and rights without considering the legitimacy of another group's perspective. The power balance now does seem to favor right wing perspectives which are basically just another set of grievances.

I think, overall, we have been emphasizing grievances too much. Yes, it's important to listen and be aware of grievances but living together in one country, especially a large empire, requires lots of compromise and kindness. Otherwise, the aggrieved group with the most power tends to dominate.