Crazy co-workers

Been a while, but life takes away spare time... my point today is why do co-workers enjoy making your life hell? It isn't hard to be respectful and to do what is right but time after time someone gets their nose out of joint and runs to a superior, a stupid word for someone one rung higher, but nevertheless, they complain but if that isn't bad enough they embelish the truth! Lying is not acceptable; now they have forced you to defend yourself, holy cow, how wrong is that... why can't they man up and simply talk you, it's called communication!! I once read in Vogue years ago that if everyone just practiced good manners we wouldn't need rules, how true.