Hey TW,

I'm not a believer in the "everyone is out to get you" outlook. I do believe that the world revolves around needs and wants. The missing link in all this is something called "exchange". There are two sides to needs and wants. There's:

(1) what YOU need and want and

(2) what SOMEONE ELSE needs and wants.

There are also ethical people and unethical people in this world.

Unethical people try to get what they need and want from someone else without making some kind of a fair exchange for it. Something for nothing, or something to their advantage to someone else's disadvantage. Not talking about "bargain hunting" or "haggling". There's an INTENTION there to get it without making a fair exchange for it.

Ethical people also try to get what they need and want from someone else, but they are willing to make a fair exchange for it. Something for something, or some benefit to them and some benefit to someone else too. Ethical people will also "bargain hunt" and "haggle". But their INTENTION is not to push your face in the mud while raiding your piggy bank.

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which kind of a person you are dealing with . . . ethical or unethical:

"Something to benefit them with disadvantage to you = UNETHICAL."

"Something to benefit them with some benefit to you = ETHICAL."

Again, the key is EXCHANGE. Does the exchange result in "even-Steven" or "win/win", or is the result "got-Scott" and "win/lose"? Ethical people strive for win/win. Unethical people strive for the opposite.

Most people, in my opinion and experience, try their best to be ethical. One incident or mistake doesn't mean the person is evil. You can know them and judge them . . . both the ethical and the unethical . . . by their INTENTIONS and the RESULTS OF THEIR ACTIONS.

Hope that helps . . .

---- Hugh