"I'll be rich one day and then people like me will have to watch their step!"

You can't change social class. Only I get to change social class. - Conservatives

My friend ran into a mutual acquaintance; dude’s now a majorly homophobic, anti trans, anti lgbtq, far right, freedumb convoy supporting redneck. You know the type. He’s ranting about how social programs need to be defunded and all the gays do is take and don’t contribute. My buddy then goes “so anyway, how’ve you been?” Dude says “oh I’m great! I got laid off so now I’m on employment insurance.”

Their hypocrisy and tone deafness know no bounds.

because they think they’ll be there someday.

Sadly, I think its even worse than you're describing. They think they are at that higher station now and its rule #1 that is preventing them from actualizing it. As in "I'm not experiencing a luxurious lifestyle because Group X is taking my share".

I don't think it's even that anymore. I think it's just genuine fawning sycophancy towards their "betters." They think privileged people deserve even more privilege by virtue of having "won," even at their own expense. It's sick and psychotic and completely foreign to my way of thinking, but I don't think I'm wrong.

Or they think that the people above their station deserve those benefits--they genuinely think and support the rich getting richer is a good thing, regardless of whether they'll see any benefit themselves. It's the mirror image of the progressive mindset of voting to raise their own taxes to help the needy.

Not really as much as I feel we think. Having read more about Authoritarian mindsets, which includes the rank and file authoritarians, not just the leadership, they're actually happy to be reinforcing the hierarchy regardless of their position in it. They're happy to know their place and to ensure the ranks are kept in place. It brings comfort to many people to know that their position, regardless of how awful it is, is being maintained properly.

This means that they're entirely okay with a dictator and/or an oligarchy as long as the people on the top are "supposed" to be there.

Almost all the quality of life in the US is at the expense of the real global poor. Even our american minimum wage workers going into debt, living paycheck to paycheck actually live a life of privilege compared to billions despite the perceived suffering.

Thats built into #2. If your station is low enough, you should expect to endure cruelty. Its your station after all...is their implied position.