Turns out as your biography expands, you discover there are many kinds of people. People of many varieties. You may be surprised to find that there really are some "bad actors" out on the road.
Scoundrels, grifters, hustlers, liars, film-flam artists, folks who will cheat you, beat you, and find pleasure in seeing you suffer. There are really talented ones who will filet you into tiny pieces, a smile on their face, and a kind word in your ear.
There are the negative black holes of the spirit, who will suck all the energy from a room, and will vacuum every last shred of hope or optimism you may have inside you with one dark, swift look or gesture.
You have to be alert, on-guard - the grift, the hustle, the soul-killing, is potentially around any corner. And remember - you harbor the saboteur inside your own heart. Inevitably, you find, that you are your own worst enemy - the toughest critic, the most brutal editor, the one totaling up all the wins and losses. The one who can overrule your better angels, your intuitive wisdom.
You must be vigilant. Enemies in every window, in every mirror.