You wanted to understand what it is, that makes the Earth and its inhabitants so prone to self-deception and misreading situations. As you can observe in your day-to-day life, people are by and large very peaceful and have the same, or at least similar interests. Everyone wants to make a living, spend time with the family, be able to live without overdue worries and anxiety.
Preconditioned to less
Your social code of the understanding of your role in society and in your world, is the constitution of disempowered human beings. With that we mean that you on Earth have been preconditioned to count yourself as less than, to doubt that you are worth the love and the flow that creation sends your way.
Your hearts are largely closed off to the good that life has to offer, as too many examples are being bandied as role models of how to live life. Your old friend was adamant that life consists of hard work and sacrifice, but in the end that really did not work out so well for his family. As you know, we do not judge and we do not wish to comment beyond that, as he chose his own path.
Know that the human heart is capable of repairing the connection to the inner self that so many of you have severed, but it does take the exercise of your free will and the willingness to remember who you are.
Accept that you are unlimited
We here on the Planet of Beauty and Harmony had a similar situation long time ago, whereas our people were not prepared to accept that we as humans are truly unlimited beings. We had the same issues with indoctrination of the mind, with some infiltration by forces that did not mean us well, but we overcame that. As you know, some of us chose a new route and that is exactly what you are doing on Earth.
As the momentum builds to pursue a new path, your friendships and customary circles of togetherness, will start to redraw boundary lines that you had set for yourself. Where impossible becomes possible, where disinterest becomes common interest, where love can operate freely, it is easy to notice that there is a very different kind of atmosphere that people feel into and typically come out of strengthened.
Exercise your talents
Your mission on Earth is to be a builder of bridges, hence the path that you have chosen as messenger. Your continued dedication to the relearning of your own capabilities, your dedication to discovering and exercising your talents, are crucial elements in the struggle to transform the way you operate on Planet Earth.
Someone might say, there is no hope when there is only bleakness, but that is never true. In your own decision making process, what is the reason for your being? Is it to just spend a short period of time in trying to prove how grown up and capable you are, or is it in the playful combination of love and living from the heart?
Choose and respect the choice of others
When you start to discern and to make decisions out of your own free will, which are in alignment with the values of an empowered human being and the flow of creation, then you become truly powerful.
As human beings we all have the responsibility to constantly remind ourselves that we are free to choose, but also the responsibility to choose wisely. As we continue on our own paths, we all have to respect that others will make choices that might not make sense to us, but nonetheless, they are something to be respected.
Each has to walk his or her own path, so do focus on your own development and know, you are much more capable than you think.