It seems almost all people who respond to me have been victimized and dehumanized in life somehow, Is this a reflection of my experience or reality? And if it's all true, why do we wonder why we have a broken world?

I would defend that self-deprecating statement about your courage to you. Sensitive people build defenses that we sometimes don't outgrow in sync with life's changes. Jumped by a gang and bullied is trauma and everyone deals with it differently. And usually not very well, alas.

Maybe it wasn't lack of courage, but no desire to fight or aggress. Many bullied/beaten kids turn inward. I didn't. I fought back. It hurt me hard, but it was honest to my being.