Hubris

Hubris refers to excessive self-confidence, often manifesting as a belief that the subject is above rules, policies, or consequences. The subject sees themselves as indispensable, superior, or uniquely capable—and may rationalize policy violations because they “know better.”
 

The core trait of hubris is a sense of arrogance and superiority, where the subject views themselves as fundamentally above their peers in capability or judgment.

The key driver behind this motive is the belief that "I am the exception"—that normal rules or controls are for others, not for someone of their perceived caliber. This often leads to behavior such as circumventing controls, overriding governance processes, or acting unilaterally without authorization, because the subject sees compliance as an unnecessary constraint on their effectiveness. Their justification typically rests on the idea that "the rules don’t apply to me because I’m smarter, more important, or more experienced than those who created them."