Wikipedia:Don't be a hero
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Wikipedia doesn't need you to be the hero and save the day; it only needs you to be the best collaborative editor you can be. |
Do you see a crime being committed against our fair encyclopedia that must be stopped in its tracks? Are you tempted to put on your ignore-all-rules cape while bending a guideline or two in order to achieve the righteous outcome? Are you really sick of doing some vital task, then feeling like you can't take a break because it doesn't seem like anyone else would do it if not for you, and then the whole encyclopedia (and our millions, millions, of readers) would suffer?
Put away the tights. Give up the hope that your herculean efforts will lead to the plaudits you richly deserve. Wikipedia is going to be OK. The problem you found? It doesn't need someone coming in with a big flashy bolder-than-bold move to save the day in one fell swoop; what it needs is good old-fashioned editing. Not all heroes wear capes: some just do incremental collaborative edit after incremental collaborative edit, to build the encyclopedia. So just do that! Try to make the encyclopedia a little better, work with others in doing it, and have faith that, even if it seems like you're on an island all by yourself, there are other good editors out there; let them be your allies. Perhaps you need to fire up the Wiki-Signal at a noticeboard. And if you really are the only one, that's a decent sign that maybe this isn't a great wrong that needs righting after all.
If you're an administrator, please remember that "with great power comes great responsibility." The fair denizens of Wikipedia trusted you to be the same editor you were before RfA, so honor that trust by using the toolset and your broader status responsibly.
In the end, no one is holding out till the end of the night, waiting for you. You just need to be the best editor you can be, and if you are, you might find that great rewards will still come your way.