Yep. I would have never known if my brother had not become a professor. He is about as kind a fellow as I know and very conscientious and dedicated. Not once, but twice, he's come across to egocentric idiots like you describe in his career and it has kept him from gaining tenure. Twice, he has had to quit and go to another university because he couldn't take it anymore. And he's as diplomatic as they come but he definitely spoke his mind. He says politics in academia is unbelievable.