Snobs Can’t Lift People 

You can’t lift people while looking down on them. 

Watch out. Snobs wear many disguises—good intentions, strong work ethic, noble achievements. 

Snobs use their strengths to belittle. Image of a missing puzzle piece.

12 Things Snobs Say to Themselves:

  • I care more 
  • I’ve been doing this longer 
  • I put in more hours 
  • I’m more dependable 
  • I carry more weight 
  • I clean up more messes than I make 
  • I give more than I take 
  • I’ve got higher credentials 
  • I’ve achieved more 
  • I earn more 
  • I’m more connected 
  • I’m more gifted 
Remember that there is nothing noble in being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self. Image of Ernest Hemmingway quote.

The comparison trap:

You might be better at some things. But “better at” isn’t “better than.” 

Superiority thrives on comparison—finding someone “less” to feel like “more.” 

I’m a better swimmer than a toddler. That doesn’t make me Olympic material. 

Snob warning:

Snobs use their strengths to belittle. 

Snobs focus on what others lack instead of what’s possible through them. 

4 humble habits for snobs: 

  • Try something new this week. Growth shows humility. 
  • Develop yourself before stretching others. 
  • Admit when someone else is right. 
  • Say “I was wrong” without flinching. 

Superiority isolates. Humility connects. 

4 grounding practices: 

  • Measure yourself against who you could be.
  • Use your strengths to build others. 
  • Lead to elevate, not dominate. 
  • Learn from the best. 

Leaders lift others. 

How can leaders close the gap between who they are and who they want to be—without stepping on others? 

How to be a SAGE without being a Snob

If Humility Is So Important, Why Are Leaders So Arrogant?