I probably belong to that subset. "Bitter" is an uncomfortable term, but probably accurate. Personally, it's not that I think startups are a con game (and certainly not YC); it's that YC represents a tremendous amount of support and resources and influence that aren't available to people like me who are working just as hard, and are just as skilled, but aren't a good fit for YC.
It's tough in practice to not get a little envious of that support when you don't have it.
I still think it's good manners to keep my jealousy to myself though. This is a YCombinator forum after all; bringing bile here just because we're not alums is not cool.
Definitely good manners to keep the jealousy to oneself, but more important to get rid of the jealousy altogether. Resenting others for their success/progress is a huge energy waste (been there, done that).
It's tough in practice to not get a little envious of that support when you don't have it.
I still think it's good manners to keep my jealousy to myself though. This is a YCombinator forum after all; bringing bile here just because we're not alums is not cool.