Zero Sum Game

In a post earlier I observed a tendency of Indians viewing Life as a zero sum game. So in order for me to get something, someone other needs to be deprived of it. Its a sweeping statement so I'll try and explain why I feel so.
Its the small things in life that often explain the most. Take the case of our roads. I first really thought of this on a trip to Delhi. Most of the vehicles I thought, were not so interested in reaching destination as early as in preventing others from getting ahead of self. So a driver will block your way even if you are faster and in reality would not really make a difference to its destination reaching time.
Its an attitude that comes from long training. The license/permit raj ( earlier society must be suffering from the same malaise but I'll quote what I have seen ) ensured that everything is rationed and so in order for me to get something, I have to 'fix' someone else's claim. And license/permit raj was also a result of certain mentality developed over time.
You see it everywhere. Notice a railway signal. People have to stop because the way is barred. Now if every one were to come in a line, once the gates open, vehicles will zip past. so lets say the 100th car in the line will be able to cross the gate after 2 minutes of its opening. What happens is when the gate is closed, 'both sides of the gate', vehicles will move in on all lanes. once the gates open you realize that traffic has no place to move because you have 2 set of armies in a face off position. so the bright soul in the wrong lane in front, who would have had to wait 2 minutes now causes a traffic jam and will spend 30 minutes in crossing the resulting pile up. and next crossing, (s)he will repeat the same idiocy.
This is just an example. you'll see on on traffic stops, parking everywhere. We not move into the wrong lane so that we can cross faster, we move in wrong lane so that the rest of the traffic is behind us (even though it actually increases my total journey time, mind you because of this tendency of people being in the wrong lane, an alert driver, on the green signal has to be slower than possible because 95% of the times, there will be some moron blocking the right of way).
Attitudes takes generations to change, but I hope lot more Indians living abroad for long periods and returning will slowly start changing. It may not happen in my lifetime though.