That's totally true. And the "making a difference" shibboleth became common during the Kennedy years. RFK used to say "No man can make a difference, but every man should try", or something close to that, and making a difference was often associated with the Peace Corps and Vista and other do-gooder, federal programs. And then making a difference became part of the empty-headed, leftist lexicon.
Making a difference is usually a sign of starry-eyed dreamers and utopians. Then there are some who will even use the phrase "save the world" which I think is a sign of outright insanity, a condition often found in the various environmental religious movements.
They’re seeking their own righteousness without God, Who is the only way to true righteousness.