There is more to humanity than the people around you. There are people who are wise but dead, yet alive in books and films. There are those who are wise but distant, yet approachable in their art. There are amicable strangers. In order to feel alive, one must not neglect any of these people.
Life distributes enough hardship; this hardship should not be amplified by self-punishment. One way to try to focus on one's long-term goals is to focus on trying to make other people---those whose goals are aligned with one's own goals---happier. It is convenient, though not necessary, that these other people exist.