Elitism
From HollowWiki
Elitism is the belief or attitude that those individuals who are considered members of the elite — a select group of people with outstanding personal abilities, 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.
The Imperial – Imperious confusion
There is a catch-22 when it comes to Elitism, people generally don’t like the “elites” unless they feel they are close to becoming one, receive special treatment from one, or are one already. While often being a target of envy and sometimes anger over an "elite's" perceived worthiness, it’s also considered a position of respect by many, and whether knowingly or unknowingly, something a large number of players strive for. While being "Elite" is not a bad thing, some players, in an effort to appear imperial (kingly, of high standard, worthy of respect) conduct themselves in a manner that is imperious (overbearing, bossy, judgmental). A surprising number of players begin this confusion only after a long period of time playing the game, as they assume leadership positions, or when they decide that it is time they were recognized as authorities, if not superiors. While many feel that imperious behavior demonstrates expertise, importance, and intelligence, in truth it almost never fails to alienate potential friends and RP partners, and make the offender look bad. This is not here to belittle or scorn anyone who is currently considered "elite" but rather to instruct people on how respect is truly earned. Below is a table highlighting the differences between desirable imperial behavior and the misconceived notions of imperious behavior.
This list pertains to the Player's and not the Character's behavior. Though treating people like crud through a character on purpose will be pretty obvious and gain you the same kind of scorn as the following list.
| Imperial | Imperious |
|---|---|
| Wise, experienced | Judgmental, dogmatic, scornful of other points of view |
| Kingly (or Queenly), regal | Bossy, arrogant, dictatorial, domineering |
| Community-Minded | Clique-Minded, ready to rally others into personal feuds and vendettas |
| Just, Impartial, Fair Minded | Unjust, Biased, Greedy Minded |
| Brave, committed to principals | Cowardly, sees threats and conspiracies Everywhere |
| Independent in thought | Over-reliance on politics, platitudes and maxims. ie. "Things are 'supposed'
to be done this way or that way. |
| Modest, friendly to all | Haughty, self important, Hierarchy obsessed, belittling toward perceived
"inferiors" and even strangers. |
| Large hearted, generous to others | Greedy, Stingy, Peevish, Self Involved |
| Open minded, appreciative of | Stubborn, Inflexible, threatened by, or hostile to, change or others
contributing new ideas. Has difficulty sharing the spotlight |
| Patient with others shortcomings, helpful | Bitchy, unforgiving, grudge loving |
| Self Aware, Mature | Self infatuated, Childish |
| Social, respectful of peers | Asocial, Has difficulty getting along with others |
| Careful with words and speech | Gossipy, indiscreet, prone to bad-mouthing others |
| Holds self to high standards | Holds others to higher standards than self |
While pecking order tactics like these are fine for beings with the intelligence and depth of sparrows and chickens, in humans they are shallow, unkind and run counter to the spirit of play. Furthermore people will not continue to support and tolerate people who treat them badly. Even so, unwise bystanders, occasionally reward this kind of boorishness with attention and respect, making our collective problem worse. New people see this behavior in community leaders and players of high prominence and emulate it, believing it to be proper, accepted or connoting high status.