Is there ANY excuse to act like an Elitist?

[Deleted]

There is nothing wrong with a bit of harmless bragging now and again, but nobody likes to hear it constantly, it is a great way to alienate people.

[sarahfireworks]

There's never really a good excuse for poor behavior; not that we all don't have our moments when we're less than angels of course.

[ptwonline]

Well, I think we should distinguish between "elitist" and "asshole".

For example, there's nothing wrong with pointing out that you know or understand something better than others, and that your opinion should hold more weight. If you don't, then you may end up with equivalency between actual experts and people who read the headlines of a couple of articles and then want their views to have equal footing.

But then there's acting like an asshole. For example, have you seen what Senator Ted Cruz has been doing regarding Obamacare and the efforts to defund the government? He's acting like an asshole, and even fellow Republicans are furious with him. Heck, back at Harvard Law School he tried to make a more exclusive club that ONLY accepted big Ivy League grads in it. That goes beyond being elitist. He became renowned for being an elitist asshole at a place where people are expected to be elitist assholes in the first place, and so to stand above the crowd like that takes a level of assholery that is truly remarkable.

[OzoAndIndi]

Nope, highly arrogant behavior and be it real life or not few people enjoy being around highly arrogant people.

I mean really, if they ever start to choke to death, at least they can save themselves with all the practice they've had with patting themselves on the back so hard.

[Rooflesstoofless]

Some people have such a fragile sense of self worth that they need to have something they believe sets them apart and makes them a special little snowflake.

Human evolution and survival of the fittest. The superior people have always lived long enough to reproduce. It is only in the last few 100 years that the less superior have lived a full life. Because of this I think its is fine to act like an elitist IF (key word IF) you are superior. Physically, mentally, health wise and where you are in life.

....what?

Is this some failed attempted at validating eugenics or....?

[ptwonline]

....what?

Is this some failed attempted at validating eugenics or....?

I think he's trying to tell us that The Octomom is the greatest human being on the planet.

[Endus]

There's a large difference between things like elitism and arrogance, and things like self-confidence and dismissal of ignorance. "You couldn't understand" is elitist, and wrong. "You don't understand, and should go educate yourself" is not. It's a perfectly reasonable stance to take. It is the reasonable stance, in fact; the counter position of "My ignorance is just as good as your education" is at least as bad, if not aggressively worse than elitism. Elitists at least typically have a reason for their arrogance, while the latter position is arrogant about their complete ignorance, as if that were a virtue. There's nothing wrong with ignorance, itself; everyone starts out knowing nothing about anything, and inevitably there will always be things about which you remain somewhat ignorant. That doesn't mean you should accept that, it means you should be constantly learning new things. That doesn't mean you can hold up your ignorance as if it were an argument unto itself, however.

You see those attitudes crop up all the time in discussions about science and the like, and it's beyond frustrating. Anti-intellectualism is a social cancer.

[pucGG]

I have been thinking long and hard, and the answer for me is no. There is no good reason.

[Hiricine]

Elitists make society greater. When you're better than someone, that person wants to better themselves. When someone thinks they are your equal, they don't have the envy that makes them work that much harder.

So theres a reason by itself to be an elitist. It does make other people feel bad, but ultimately it will drive them to be better.

[Mnevis]

If occasionally pointing out that there are people doing it wrong is wrong, then I don't want to be right. It's all relative, I'm not getting world firsts, let alone curing cancer, and I try not to be a dick, but it's impossible to never offend anyone.

So, where's the option: "So long as it doesn't affect me, I don't really care how you play or if you gem your gear. But if you're wasting my time or getting me killed, you'll hear about it. If that makes me an elitist in your eyes, then yes, I think it's justified."

[Eliot123]

As I see it, not really.
People should take pride in what they do, especially if they are very good at it, but that pride should not turn into super-huge-ego that makes them treat others like lesser beings.

[Mirishka]

I go through life following one simple rule: I treat people the way I'd want them to treat me. In real life and in WoW. I see a rare smashing someone's face in? I'll help them kill it, without exception. When I see people ask questions, I always answer if I know the answer, no matter how 'n00b' the question might sound.

For all I know that's someone's little kid asking where to get pets or something... I'm not going to tear them down or insult them. I didn't come into WoW knowing everything and here, almost 9 years later I still don't. I'd rather just reply and be helpful, and maybe someday that player will be the one answering someone's questions.

Treat people the way you want them to treat you. It's a really, really easy thing to do.

[Deleted]

Some people use their elitist ways to try and better themselves in-game. Much like Blackstar in "Soul Eater", who is accompanied by great talent as well.

[endersblade]

I think there is a huge difference between Elitists, which are usually just egotistical assholes, and veteran gamers. Both of them may have years of experience, really really know their shit, but one will actually attempt to help people while the other just calls everyone who isn't as good as them noobs.

[Deleted]

This ladies and gentlemen, is why you don't want to be an elitist.

Shockingly you can be really good at something and not be an elitist, WHO KNEW ?

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Also this /chars

You know, to hate something like elitists you must have problems. Psychological problems. You are unhappy with yourself and so you cannot stand others, that are better than you. Otherwise you would be able to ignore it.

Once again, when someone thinks he can compete with me I show them I am better. Of course only in things where I am better. That means I am not acting like a 12 year old who shouts loud in the internet, posts fake picture of his porn star wife and his multi million dollar house. That means I will try my best to beat them. In any sort of thing you can imagine.

Like yesterday in WoW for example. I killed someone who farmed Bloody Coins. He instantly whispered me I should learn to play and whatsoever. So, I offered him a duel and fucked him off entirely. Yes, I was proud after that. i knew there was someone raging hardly in front of their PC. Made me laugh.

Other thing, I got demanded intellectually. I just crushed my "enemy" with so many undeniable facts he just went away. Yes, I like that. And I show, that I am superior. Only because you can't elitism is bullshit? No. Get better in every part of your life and you will see, you would be an elitist guy, too.

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I think there is a huge difference between Elitists, which are usually just egotistical assholes, and veteran gamers. Both of them may have years of experience, really really know their shit, but one will actually attempt to help people while the other just calls everyone who isn't as good as them noobs.

For some people, trying to help them while being friendly means, you are an asshole elitist, too.

Tnere are just people that can't stand that there are better people.

[worsthitmanNa]

I don't really think anyone in this thread is superior to the average person honestly. When most of die who is gonna remember but our families and a couple of friend we aren't gonna be in a history books. So what did u accomplish?

[Miley]

I said other. At my job, out of the other 8 people I work with, I have the most knowledge/skill in what I do. I act quite elitist but that is because when someone else is working with me I do expect them to listen to me and ask for help if they need etc. It's not about being negative towards the other employees it is more about asserting that I have the skills.

Now elitist in WoW.. I don't act elitist and I don't really like people who are negative elitists but they are sometimes necessary. I was a bad player at one time. I had no idea I was really doing anything wrong or that there was a best way to do something. One day someone bitched me out after doing Violet Hold. This elitist player insulted me, sure, but he made me realize I needed to do better and how to play better researching strategy and theory craft rotations from websites like EJ. Now this player was really rude to me but maybe he was just shocked at how bad I was doing. Rather than just act defensive I accepted his critism and then sought to improve myself.

[Biske]

"Survival of the fittest" is a weak excuse for anything. "The fittest" have never been the ones to survive. It has always been those who can adapt to change. I wouldn't consider slugs to be "fit" by any definition of the word yet they've been around forever. One who thinks they are the best is the last to realize when change is needed because they think they're doing everything perfectly. Also, elitism can be detrimental to the morale of a team. It's really hard to keep a group together when you're giving the other healers their instructions and this one guy just keeps railing on the new guy and you're trying to keep it civil and telling everyone to please just focus on the fight.

[Grummgug]

Ali could act cocky and arrogant because he could back it up. But people understood that he was a skilled boxer because many people understand physical fighting.

When you cannot back it up, people hate elitist attitudes.

I think Warren Buffett actually could act cocky and arrogant and people would like him anyway, because he is very skilled at what he does. A socialite heiress who didn't earn the money nor has any idea how to manage it that also acted like they were financial wizards would draw hatred.

One thing is for sure. If you act elitist, people will judge you. They will question whether you can back it up. If so, they will be fine with it, maybe even enjoy it. If not, they'll hate you.