Religion seen as a straightjacket

Religion is seen as a straightjacket to many and I would agree. There is a lifetime of demands and rules that religions require in order for a person to win god's favor. No one is capable of keeping all of these demands so they are full of guilt and shame. Those who are not religious also wear a similar straightjacket. The non-religious have just as many rules and demands they must satisfy to gain self-validation and a sense of purpose as the religious do. If the irreligious are to be validated as people of worth they must satisfy the demand of self as well as those socially demanded of them. These rules are set in stone and when they falter in fulfilling them they feel guilt and shame. If they completely fail even through no fault of their own they may perceive that their existence is meaningless and lose their will to live. All of us want to feel successful in life and that our life has meaning. Why are human beings so empty that they feel the only way their life matters is if they fulfill some standard of outward achievements or works? Do people have intrinsic value even when they are unable to give back to society? If so, what gives humanity value over other animals?