Slight tangent but in the same vein...
I work in the humanitarian field and we are all meant to feel "privileged" for what we do and where we work. When I started traveling extensively, people in the admin office would just cringe when I came into to request a travel authorization, because they knew I would come with my travel plan in hand. Even though we were supposed to let the travel agency "do the work" HA! It wasn't until I started talking with the TA directly, did they understand, this guy is just looking for the CHEAPEST ticket from A-B. Paying a little extra here in there... adding a stop (or two) and all of a sudden I'm getting top tier levels and the benefits that come with it.
There was a time when I would hide my face when boarding, as I was in the front and colleagues were in the back. No more. I don't give a $#¡7. Oh man I heard it once from a "friend" about how awful it was that I flew in First Class when on the organization's dime, I reminded her that the organization's dime had very little to do with me being in First. The organization got me on the plane, I (and my fearless FT partners) did the rest!
Occasionally I'll find a kindred spirit and can share a few miles anecdotes, but for the masses, it's a non-starter conversation. Just the thought of collecting miles, cross-branding, adding segments, just goes over peoples head. Especially internationally...
My two cents.