I was listening to cage-fighter Chael Sonnen describe advice he received from his father that you essentially have no friends in the 9 to 5 world. Everybody is out to get you, and you have to fight for every inch that you move. While true from a practical perspective, I also thought that it's an incredibly tragic way to live life.
At some point, you do have to depend on other people. We're not meant to live life in solitude. This doesn't mean to throw away your competitive spirit; rather, the lesson I received was to channel that spirit towards positive, productive endeavors.
Thanks for sharing your insights...it's sorely needed in the present age we live in!