We see life as the effort to find individual happiness through struggling to overcome obstacles and opponents. The central reality is the individual, each one of us, with our particular desires and circumstances. Soap opera attitudes are dualistic and make divisions, both inner and outer. We turn this attitude inward and disown aspects of ourselves that we don't like, leading to endless inner conflict. Opposition and struggle play a very large part in the soap opera view.
Competition is seen as natural and inevitable.
The struggle for survival and the survival of the fittest are seen as laws of nature. The effort to dominate and control, to outshine others, to be Number One, is seen as a natural and even noble goal. Soap opera thinking tends to be fragmented, looking at small parts of the total picture. When difficulty arises, blame is fixed on a single cause and a single remedy is sought, often involving elimination of the supposed cause. Solve the drug problem by eliminating dealers.