> Yes, but the scars run deep, and these values are not exclusive to work and employment - virtually every interpersonal relationship, in my experience, turns o

> Yes, but the scars run deep, and these values are not exclusive to work and employment - virtually every interpersonal relationship, in my experience, turns out to be fundamentally mercenary. I befriend people, or so I think, and I become infinite unpaid tech support. When I put my foot down and tell them to read the damned manual, upset and offence occurs. Possibly most are like that, but there are definitely people who care about the interaction with you in itself, and not in what they can gain. They're rare, because they have to essentially elevate themselves above the default programming of being a predominantly a selfish animal who's about maximizing resources and chances at survival/comfort. Essentially, a good approach for this problem is - look for people who exhibit good/virtuous character traits, and run from everyone else.