Unfortunately it's really hard to put the same kind of accountability on yourself compared to that of a professor gatekeeping an accredited degree. Personally, arbitrary goals don't really motivate me as the acknowledgment of its arbitrariness overrides any pursuit of reward.

It’s entirely possible that creating a brain capable of controlling itself is more costly (in an evolutionary sense, measured by the number of generations needed to achieve this goal) than equipping a brain with the ability to check itself by communicating with others.

Nevertheless, some brains lack even that ability, gravitating instead toward echo chambers where everyone shares the same views, so no mutual checks are possible.