> if previous people like you have played hardball with them in the past you might be starting out from a far worse perspective Yep, this is an excellent point

> if previous people like you have played hardball with them in the past you might be starting out from a far worse perspective Yep, this is an excellent point. The interaction doesn't quite take place in isolation: it's in a societal environment, and your actions can return to you through that network in some form.