It's the way our mind works. I am not sure I can explain it in a way that will do it justice. I'll quote something that helped me.
Now try this:
It happens to people all the time, like the example given where you purchase a new car and now you see them everywhere. What you see in the world is the same. You see what you are looking for. If you look for the good in people then you will see god, if you look for bad then that is what you will find.
Studies have be done that proves this kind of thing. People with two different political views read two articles, one that agreed with their views and one that challenged it. They found a lot of the time no matter what the peoples beliefs they would be likely to say that both articles supported their view. I tried to find the link to that but if I manage to track it down I'll post it.
Basically because you expect people to be selfish idiots you will see all the selfish and idiotic things they do. If you tried to take on a different perspective for awhile and looked at all the selfless things people do you will see that to. I know it is hard to comprehend because it seems real to us. Evolution wired us to believe our own bull**** strongly because it gave us a better chance at survival, it also made it so that we disagree completely with anyone who challenges us. In most case the two extremes are normally not the truth, but it is found somewhere in between. Politicians know this and use it to with votes along with a 'us versus them mentality'.
It's like we are all walking around with different shades of glasses on. We each see the world different and we think "if only everyone else would see it the same as me". The fact is we don't see the truth ourselves.
There is a old saying I read somewhere once: "Your swimming in the ocean" said one fish to another, to which the other fish replied "What ocean? I don't see it."
Are humans all good or all bad? Neither. Should we give everything we can or keep everything we have selfishly to ourselves. Neither. Absolutes don't work in reality. Also because you have those beliefs you assume that everyone else does. Like above we think that everyone else has the same colour glasses as us and we wonder why we disagree. In your post you say that everyone else are idiots and ******* and you have to set up traps for them, so you may be inclined to assume people think you are an idiot and ******* and that people will set up traps for you.
Your overanalysing it. It has nothing to do with other people or your actually euolgy. I know that people always say good things, but the exercise it just designed for you to get in touch with your values. It seems you value being respected above else, personally I would also desire to be liked. If we disagree it may just be because we have different values, and you don't value giving. Just think, who is respected more, the selfish man or the generous man? Just because you are generous does not mean you have to be walked over or taken advantage of, it is possible to give from a place of power.
If you grab onto something tightly your hand is not open to revive anything else. Holding onto anything too strongly is bad. However if you give your hand is open to receive. If you hang onto a bad memory the pain stays with you, if you let it go then the pain goes away. I completely agree with setting, going after and achieving goals. I would like be successes to benefit my family, friends and other I meet as well as myself.
At the end of the game the king and the pawn go in the same box.
It doesn't matter what we do, we all die. Whether we are 'winners' or 'losers', we are all equal. I believe that compassion is the cure for most of the worlds evils.
Hope that helped you understand where I am coming from.
