"We want to survive and thrive, even at the expense of others. We also derive a certain satisfaction from being able to enjoy the fact that we have succeeded whereas those around us have not."

I have never felt this way.

But certainly from a systemic perspective I was raised in an elitist environment which I have either rejected outright or worked to overcome. Nevertheless there are parts of me that are involved in this patriarchic rubric based on my white maleness etc.