Considering the number of people who think that rules apply only to the rest of us, this may well be known as a new age of hubris. Arrogance and its subset hubris surround us.

And that trait may perfectly unite the Jan. 6 insurrectionists and their leader with other politicians, entertainers and athletes.

Let’s start with a litany of the prominent who seem to believe they’re exempt from the rules. Perhaps no one better symbolizes hubris than President Bill Clinton, who said, “I … did … not … have … sex … with … that … woman?” He did and then he lied about it.

Or hotelier Leona Helmsley, who flaunted privilege, saying, “We don’t pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes.” Her tax bills kept coming while she did time for tax evasion.

Actors Felicity Huffman, maybe best known as Lynette Scavo in “Desperate Housewives,” and Lori Loughlin of “Full House” did prison time for hiring a guy named Rick Singer to manipulate the college admissions process for their daughters.

Jason Aldean, the country singer who was on stage when a gunman killed 61 at a hotel in Las Vegas and who dresses his kids in t-shirts that read “Hidin from Biden,” told an audience in New York, “I’m looking out, seeing all you guys, and I don’t see one … mask. I’ve had just about enough of that s***.” New York had the worst early outbreak and then some of the strictest lockdown rules. But rules apparently don’t apply to Aldean.

As we adjusted to the virus, Americans resumed watching sports. And the drama that can come with sports. Novak Djokovic flouted the rule that anyone entering Australia must be vaccinated. After he insisted that it didn’t apply to him, Australia applied the rule and deported him. Had he won the Australian Open tennis championship, he would have become the winningest male tennis player ever. And even richer.

Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers may be headed to the most valuable player award. He, too, flouted the rules and lied about it, saying he was “immunized,” without disclosing the type of immunity. Turned out, his “immunity” isn’t medically recognized. He wasn’t suspended, because he lied to fans, not to the NFL. That’s NFL hair-splitting. He did sit out a game after — surprise! — he tested positive. Green Bay lost that game.

In politics, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took a turn at the hubris podium this month when she said the 535 members of Congress should be able to trade stocks and bonds while serving (supposedly) the greater good.

To their shame, Maine senators Angus King and Susan Collins lined up with Pelosi. Time was that national officials put their investments into blind trusts for a factotum to manage while they served. Charles E. Wilson, president of General Motors, put his huge holdings into a trust so he could serve as defense secretary in the 1950s. Donald Trump did not put his properties into a trust.

More than half the members of Congress are millionaires. Pelosi’s worth rose to $115 million from $41 million in 14 years. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s worth rose to $34 million from $3 million in the same period. Lower in the ranks is Sen. Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, who rose in a decade to $10.7 million from $602,000.

Let’s consider one possible effect of this tsunami of hubris. The insurrection on Jan. 6. Not to excuse the attempt to destroy our democracy, but when you look at the tip of the iceberg listed above, it’s easy to infer that hubris pays. And playing by your own rules.

Lest we fall for the belief that all insurrectionists were red-necked Ku-Klux-Klan-cross-burning Bubbas from the wrong side of the Mason-Dixon line, The Atlantic monthly studied 193 who have been charged with illegally entering the Capitol. It found only 10% tied to right-wing groups. It found also that 40% were white collar workers, including business owners, who had a lot to lose in a coup d’etat. More than half live in counties that President Biden won in what investigators have called the fairest election ever.

Their action against America was ugly and deserves serious prison time. Still, many risked a lot, such as the Texan “life coach” who said she wouldn’t be convicted because she is white and blond. She checked into federal prison on Dec. 23. Similarly, Kyrie Irving, a Brooklyn Nets player, has chosen not to play rather than get the vaccine. Irving, you may recall, once questioned whether the earth is round, so his scientific creds seem a bit weak. Still, he has given up millions to embrace his susceptibility to the coronavirus.

Irony. In a way, one can respect Irving for risking his freedom to earn a living to stand by his principle, cuckoo as we might believe his principle. Remind you of anyone? Sure, Dr. Martin Luther King made it clear to followers that they must be ready to lose their  freedom in order to defend the principle of freedom.

That loss of freedom gave him the (jail) time to write “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” which served — it still does — as a manifesto for civil rights for all Americans.

Bob Neal wonders why celebrities cheat to get their kids into the University of Southern California. He got into USC in 1959 with grades that can be called mediocre, at best. Neal can be reached at [email protected].