Is It Wrong To Be An Elitist

What do elitists do and why is it wrong to be one?

Someone whome thinks or acts as if they are superior to others. Ie, one percenters, yuppies, hipsters, city folk etc. oh and conservatives. These are all "elitists"...

What’s wrong with elitism?

It should be noted that elitism and merit are not the same. You can be elitist and have contributed absolutely nothing to anything, like most royal families for millennia. When voting first arose in post feudal societies it was only the elite class that could vote i.e the wealthy landlords and, again, royals.It is inherently immoral, I am better than you because I come from a particular class of group of people or was born into a particular family . It's interesting you mentioned it in the same breath as racism. Racism where is elitism based of the pigment of your skin.When elites, and they often do, have power they will and do exploit those they consider to be their inferior. It is seen in Leninist countries like the USSR or China where it is the 'elite vanguard' who leads to stupid and ignorant masses into communism.Elitism is scientific communities has led to new ideas being silenced and the career of an upcoming scientist ruined because he questioned, or disproved, what the elite scientific community thought was correct.Merit and elitism is often confused in democracy's and for a simple reason. The elite class wants it to be a blurred line. Elitism applied to politics and government is oligarchy. Do you think the best people in the US occupy Congress, the Senate, the White House? Or is it an elite group of individuals who run the show, those with enormous wealth who put those politicians in there? Is the political class the US really the best it can come up with? Was George Bush there because he was more intelligent and able than everyone else? Of course not, he couldn't function without helpers. He was a zombie, saying and doing whatever he was told to do. He was a complete moron who probably didn't even know what his policies were or meant. Reagan too. Someone like Obama is obviously intelligent, but does he really run the show? Was he the best man or woman for the job? There were plenty of similar politicians with far more experience than he. He occupies the White House because the elite class funded his campaign when agreed to do their bidding. He promised he wouldn't bailout banks and that is exactly what he did, within days of entering the White House. He was apart of that elite group. He certainly wasn't there on merit.

Is there anything wrong with being an elitist?

Using the definition of elitist from Wikipedia which saysElitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who form an elite — a select group of people with a certain ancestry, intrinsic quality or worth, higher intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes —  are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or  carry the most weight; whose views and/or actions are most likely to be  constructive to society as a whole; or whose extraordinary skills,  abilities or wisdom render them especially fit to govern. I personally think it can be short-sighted to be elitist. Certainly I understand why one values for example the Ivy League degree or experience with Company XYZ. Many of these people are successful but it doesn't guarantee success. It does back to the phrase "Don't judge a book by it's cover". Many successful people have degrees from average universities but have the drive/intelligence to become extremely successful in life.

Is it wrong to believe that anyone who says "don't give up" is an elitist, mean-spirited person?

“Don’t give on getting a better job,” says the older man who collects garbage for a living.“Don’t give up on getting a roof over your head,” says the guy on the streets whose been there for 30 years to a younger man barely 25.“Don't give up on quiting dope,” says the former addict 10 years clean.“Don’t give up on your dreams.”“Don’t give up on being who you want to be.”“Don’t give up on your heart and soul.”“Don’t give up on fighting one more day every day for more than just survival. Believe in your dreams even when your belly is starving and your fingers are frozen.”I don't know what the context is here that you’re addressing, but “not giving up” is what makes us human. All other animals on Earth will go to bed hungry dreaming of only food, but human beings do not. Today, they go to bed hungry. Tomorrow, they cross the Atlantic to become an indentured servant in America and in seven years they will be freed. They will get their own good land then and from there plant the gold of our history. (Yes, I'm aware this part of American history only applied to white men.)Don’t give up dreaming and trying to enact those dreams. Look for any opportunity you can to help you. You may not have much at all to start, but keep turning over rocks looking and making friends. Yes, upward mobility, becoming super rock star, physicist, multibillionaire, and all that win the big life race stuff doesn't happen often, but it does happen. And it’s not the same thing as winning the lottery. If you are called to contribute to the world grandly and you follow it, you will likely have some success.Just know success isn't happiness and even a person who is homeless can be happy.Just give what you have to give this world and don't give up on that.Everyone has something to give. Nothing is elitist about that.

Is it a smart idea to be an elitist?

A2A It is a smart idea to surround yourself with people who are what you wish to become. But there's no reason to call that elitist.One of the most predictive measures of what you'll be is who your friends are. Part of this is the networking effect. Part of if is matching their mode of thought. If you surround yourself with people who start businesses, it's a lot easier to find out how to start a business. If you surround yourself with people who publish books, it's a lot easier to find out how to publish books. If you surround yourself with athletes, its a lot easier to pick up athletic training habits. If you surround yourself with investors, it's a lot easier to begin to recognize good investments.But this doesn't mean you need to look down on people who have made others decisions about how they want to live their life.Elitism is a broad term. In the sense you mean, surrounding yourself with people you want to become and be like, is a smart idea. But a common interpretation of the term is to look down on, or dismiss the thinking of those who are not like you. And that is a a huge mistake.People have niches, and we need all types. It is very dumb to dismiss people who are different from you, or who have made choices different than your own as being not worthy of thoughtful consideration and respect. So don't be that type of elitist. Respect the value in everyone.