'As a consequence of their sublime self-confi­dence, elitists feel quite secure in their apparent superiority. They achieve this in part by capturing the attentions of others and making them take note of the supposed extraordinary qualities. Most everything these narcissists do is intended to per­suade others of their specialness, rather than to put their efforts into acquiring genuine qualifications and attainments. They feel privileged and empow­ered by virtue of whatever class status and pseudo ­achievements they may have attained. Most are upwardly mobile, seeking to cultivate their sense of specialness and personal advantage by associat­ing with those who may possess genuine achieve­ments and recognition. Many elitists will create comparisons between themselves and others, turn­ing personal relationships into public competitions and contests. Unrivaled in the pursuit of becoming "number one," the grounds for this goal are not de­termined by genuine accomplishments, but by the degree to which they can convince others of its re­ality, false though its substance may be.'