I have found a lot of alpha in being good at recognizing quality people.

It seems simple, but this thread gives many examples of why it's not. Assuming that the hated tribe is composed entirely of idiots is the most trivial illustration, but there are others, most of them rooted in the almost overwhelming need to feel good about yourself, about the rightness of your own beliefs and to justify the things that you're doing and want to do.

Hard swim upstream of that, but worth it. You make better and more useful friends, if nothing else.