Shifting subjects slightly, this is a core concept at the heart of Thomas Sowell's book The Vision of the Anointed. He calls this "The Tragic Vision". The other side of that coin is "The Vision of the Anointed", which can be quickly summarized as Really Smart People from Washington, New York, and Harvard telling The Benighted how to live their (our) lives. Because They Know Better.
If you haven't read this book, I strongly recommend adding it to your reading stack. I'm about 80% through at the moment.
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