[bitserf]

You've got a pretty negative view of people/life overall.

I think your perception may be a self fulfilling prophecy.

Going to go out on a limb and recommend reading Learned Optimism, by Martin Seligman.

I have a predisposition to seeing the negative side of things myself, but I actively work on trying to minimise that.

Life really is too short.

[carguy1983]

And how exactly does reading self-help books affect how other people behave?

[LogicHoleFlaw]

The implication is that it is more important to adjust one's perception of the actions of others than it is to alter the actions of others.