The conventional wisdom holds that politicians must be packaged as feeling family types, rather than thick-skinned, sharp-elbowed machines dedicated to self-advancement.

ECONOMIST: Lexington

The racial minorities look to identity politics as a means of self-respect and advancement - which the growing number of dual heritage individuals would seem to vitiate, while plenty of the white majority in this country remain good, old fashioned Alf Garnetts - they've just learned to be less blatantly toxic about it.

BBC: A Point of View: Race, class and house parties

The cousin of self-promotion, networking can bring career advancement as well.

FORBES: Why Is Self-Promotion So Hard For Women?

Bouwer, a native South African, was also a serial fabricator who had engineered his academic advancement with decades of spectacular, self-serving lies.

CNN: Bring medical misdeeds into the light