Once people gained power and influence, they tended to grow arrogant and conceited. That wasn't universally true, but it wasn't without merit, either. The world was always going on about how it was wrong to become arrogant after gaining power and influence. Everyone knew that, but how many could really keep their heads once they had it?
Often, it wasn't that these people didn't understand the gravity of the situation. They were simply so wrapped up in everything they'd gained that they didn't want to think about it. In the end, only a few could keep their egos in check.
If everyone in the world saw things so clearly, there wouldn't be so many absurd or tragic things happening, would there?
Take Kingpin, the most obvious example. Before everything went wrong, he was the most powerful crime lord in the United States. He had no shortage of food, clothes, or money. On top of that, he had a private army, private scientists, and a private arsenal... He basically had everything he could want, like a little emperor with all the necessary trappings.
Then he got it into his head to take over the entire United States. To be fair, his plan was sound. He launched terrorist attacks against the country's major judicial and administrative centers while taking control of its infrastructure. If this had been the United States from Dilos's previous life, he might actually have succeeded. Unfortunately for Kingpin, he wasn't the only one in this world with an incredible amount of power and resources. Whether it was Tony Stark, Bruce Wayne, or organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D... none of them were any weaker than Kingpin.
In the end, those people and organizations joined forces and crushed him. His underlings were killed, fled, or betrayed him. He became an internationally wanted