Squeak, you make a good point about the importance of growth, but still, mah nafshach. If superiority means being on a higher level, even when two people are growing, or ch”v the opposite, one could still be superior to the other.
And if the word superior is being (mis)used to refer to gaavah, it is still not acceptable for someone who is growing to look condescendingly at someone who is not growing.