Viscious

Of all the things I regret I wasn't taught, the biggest is no one taught me people were vicious. Or perhaps I was told, but at the time I didn't trust the teller. Over the years I have given much to people who never gave anything back. And I trusted people to act in my interests (or let me know if they didn't), and it never came to pass.

People are viciously self-serving and crass and cruel and grasping and greedy. They act only in their own self-interest, and some will go out of their way to undermine others, even when there's no other advantage. It would have been better to know that than to let them victimize me.