Thank you. Very pleasant to have a conversation with you.
It is indeed an identity shock to have lived a life of trust in authority and then, one day, realise that this trust cannot be taken into a future. I agree with you, it is probably wiser to want to rely on yourself and those close to you rather than on others and those far away, this principle is surely as old as what you have cited as government interest.

A saying that I really like:
It's always better when your mood is better than your situation.

There is no "true nature", as many places claim that true nature would expose itself when times of adversity dawn. The truth of nature is just as true in times of prosperity as the other way around. One thing I would probably assume for myself is that when it comes to my skin, I am still closest to myself.

Some end up losing themselves in their attempt to survive.

Wise words :)