As the daughter of a sociopath, I was raised in a similar manner, except my mother treated life like a game and taught us that everyone was manipulating everything to their own ends. Not necessarily that everyone was an evil person, but that most people were more neutral evil than anything else. It has made me very good at writing intrigue and politics, but it has royally sucked as a way to approach life. I've tried my best NOT to slip into that head space, but it is hard when you grew up there.

*hugs*