It's the old happiness/gratitude inversion. The trap is thinking you will be grateful once you're happy. The truth is being grateful creates happiness. And your example of pulling others up is a fine expression of gratitude.

OP never said nothing about happiness, OP wanted responsibility and power.

> Motivate yourself by either pulling up those around you

This has the added side affect of indicating your ability as a leader, which may in turn lead to satisfying your desired leadership and decision making criterion.

It also pays off to double check whether they are actually dumb, or whether it is just ressentment talking. Are thay really stupid or rather less experienced or maybe they just have different opinions? If it is disagreement, then it is much effective to argue instead of teach. (I have met a few dudes who confused disagreement with stupidity. )

We've asked you many times to stop making personal attacks and post civilly and substantively, so we've banned this account.

This reads a little negative, but you're right about discipline.

it's supposed to be negative. it's shit talk on the internet.

Maybe elsewhere on the internet this is expected. From the HN guidelines:

Avoid gratuitous negativity.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html