You can aim high without looking down.

Ambition does not have to come with contempt for the people not chasing the same thing. The looking down is a separate habit that attaches itself to aspiration and then poisons it, isolating you and making your own position feel fragile, since anyone might look down at you the same way. You can want a great deal and still hold everyone around you as an equal.

Catch yourself the next time you feel superior about your drive. Ask what you actually know about the person’s situation, which is usually very little. Aim as high as you like, and keep your estimate of other people out of it.