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@Oliver Schick
Exactly. Above all, remember that cycling is essentially a social skill for all those encounters with people you have in a day's riding. You're not locked away in a box and you have the opportunity to interact with the rich life of the city (yes, of course, you come across the odd person you wouldn't want to meet) much better than anyone who's on foot and dependent on public transport. There are many opportunities not to be missed by excessively fast or anti-social riding.
'Defensive' cycling isn't such a good word. Very few people set out to actively do you harm. They all know that that would be a lot more trouble for them than it's worth. If your communication with other street users is good, you should encounter very few sticky situations. If not, think of getting some cycle training (http://www.cycletraining.co.uk/ is a good place to start), even if you're a very experienced rider and pride yourself on your skills. You will be able to improve them.
It's better to cycle assertively. Assertiveness doesn't mean barging everyone out of the way, it means that you achieve a situation in which 'I'm OK, you're OK'. Why make anyone's day worse? When people become aggressive, they often do this because they are victims of motor dependence. Help them. Don't attack them. It's often much more difficult to remain friendly, and of course no-one can stay friendly in every situation, but aim to be a model ambassador for cycling and show people why it's such a great thing to take up.
As a bike rider, you're using the superior and more modern mode of transport. Carriages were invented much earlier than bicycles, and although they became motorised after bicycles had been invented, their basic concept is ancient and they are nowadays not used in a purposeful way the majority of the time. Many people are the victims of pointless accepted usage patterns.
And: Sail before steam--yes, pedestrians can step out unawares, but apply the same principle that you would want motorists to apply to interacting with you. Keep an eye out on what pedestrians are doing and don't cycle too fast for the conditions, especially in shared-use situations.
LCC pages on cycle sense:
http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=62
Happy cycling to all!
Oliver
LCC