Maybe Legendary rank should be possible in 5-10 years, not in 2.
Due to the above mentioned statistics, I want to encourage all honorable members to keep doing what they're doing and they'll be rewarded. Obtaining 1000 merits is not impossible and also not hard. Just act with decency, be respectful, share your wisdom and try to help the forum as much as you can, either that means to report posts, to flag scammers, spammers, plagiarists, to help newbies, to answer questions and so on. Bring your contributions on the areas where you have knowledge! And you'll see, ranking up won't see too hard!
What you say may be true in some cases but I noticed it is not so easy for everyone to earn merits like in your case.
Ranking up even more harder in current situation would be terrible for this forum and your suggestion for reaching Legendary rank in 10 years... some of people will be dead before they ever get to this rank, and they would have no motivation to ever reach it.
This is forum and not a gulag or concentration camp.
