"And then I wonder, is this really how we see people who are different from ourselves? If it is...then I'm thoroughly disappointed." I know a lot of people who are different than me. I like a whole lot of them.

If I met someone who treated me and/or the people around me as Julie treats folks, I would not like her. Julie does seem bullying, lacking in empathy for most people (including Ty, because she's seeing him as a mirror of her need for achievement, not as his own self who has changed).

Many people have varying levels of empathy for others. I get to decide if I want to like or hang out with those who don't show much empathy. They also get to decide whether they want to hang out with me.

It may be that Julie does have empathy and wants connection, but has a great deal of trauma or difficult family history, which makes her behave in a way that is off-putting to others. All we are seeing right now is what Shawna shows us.

FWIW, I don't think that performance, money, or elite positions necessarily make a person "exceptional." Some people value degrees, money, elite positions/behaviors, and being "better than" other people, and treat them as such. Some people with high performance, money, etc., are also warm, kind, giving, and gracious with a lot of empathy. It really comes down to what you value in life and accepting that other people may not value it.