Why the new honor system requires a win condition to yield benefits

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about the new honor system, simply because it is new and I like new things. However I feel that this new system has one critical flaw that may/may not be intended by Riot. There is a win condition tied into the system. Let me explain:

How often have you felt like honoring anyone on your team when you just lost a game? It's human nature to be generous when you are feeling positive feedback. The game has evolved over the years to be more about winning (instant gratification) than about enjoying the game if we are being honest. In my experience, I feel less inclined to honor my team when we lose. Why? We lost and I don't even want to be in the toxic lobby that results from a typical loss, let alone reward someone for doing well... in a game we lost. I'm being honest here, not altruistic.

Now be honest with yourselves. How often have you felt like rewarding a teammate after you lose a game? Many of you want to feel like you would, but I imagine when it comes down to it, you won't feel very generous after you lost. This is where it's not really a good thing that opponents cannot honor you. If they win, they feel more generous, and are more likely to do so. It's social behavior that positive feedback leads to generosity. Since our honor system is confined within your team, it follows that rewards for honor require a win condition. I don't feel this is what Riot intends, however it is the logical outcome for what I've described.