If we overlay Masolow’s Hierarchy of needs we get some variations. I was very fortunate in growing up-we weren’t wealthy, but I lived and travelled with my dad overseas due to his business, we were in the Upper side of middle class, I had everything I needed and then some.

I had a strong desire to cooperate, share, be up front with people. This helped and hurt me. I generally had great personal and working relationships, people trusted me, wanted to work with me, etc. That is, until I started advancing in my career and interacting with more people.

I was TOTALLY unprepared for the Machiavelli principles that govern the mostly mediocre (and / or less fortunate) people in mid and high levels of power. I had not read The Price or been exposed the machinations of power, even after getting my MBA from a school (Carnegie Mellon) , which TOTALLY FAILED to teach us what business was really about. A few professors tried, but it didn’t get through to us due to the focus on hard skills.

I suppose Machevellian behavior is inevitable, and thus we are screwed in our modern world. Unless the information and social evolution finds its way to transcending this in the new generation.