Human behavior in the midst of hardship caught my attention very early on, and my first stories were all pictures, no words.
I won't mention names, but in my career, the most talented people invariably are the easiest and nicest to get along with.
People will have an altered idea of who you are unless they really take time to get to know you, which of course they don't. They just get what they see, and they take that to the bank.