Hold up, I don't think every board game turns people into sharks. Sure, Monopoly and Scrabble like jennyk62 mentioned will do it, those games are built for it. But you bring out a cooperative game or something simple like Catan, and that cutthroat side just doesn't come out the same way. It really depends on the game itself.

Seriously, why do you need talking points for a cartoon you watched in pajamas?

What if assuming the worst is just our brain's way of being careful? In @susan597's trash can case, thinking it's laziness could make you check on a neighbor who really needs help. Sometimes that bad first idea is a useful alarm bell.