communism is a far better world in which there are nolonger class distinctions; all systems and relations of exploitation abolished; all oppressive social institutions and relations of social inequality(like racial discrimination, the domination of women by men) are abolished; and all oppressive and backward ideas and values are done away with
communism is a world of abundance where people together hold all of society's resources in common
communism(as an idealogy in capitalist and socialist society) also refers to the comprehensive outlook and scientific method of the proletariat for understanding and changing the world for the better
but communism is not a utopia, because there will still exist contradictions in the transformation of neccessity, and that brings me to your real question; human nature!
there is no innate or unchanging "human nature"; people's thinking, behavior, and values are shaped by the economic structure and corresponding institutions and culture of a given society
capitalism is organized around the private accumulation of profit and economic competition; selfishness, greed, and individualism are rewarded by the workings of capitalism and promoted by the institution of capitalist society
they are not "hard-wired" into our genes, and neither is racism or male supremacy!

this perspective of your's: "anyone enamored with the idea of wanting for everyone to be considered equal in all regards is someone also seeing themselves as less than the bulk of society already and expecting embracement of communistic doctrines by society as a way of improving their standing without actually having to work for it" is saying that we commies are lazy; don't want to do work, is that what you are saying? how can we build a better world if we don't work for it? no communists(not revionists or phony communists) are willing to do alot of work, because that is what is neccessary-the transformation of neccessity- for improvement
if a house needs to be built it will be built, but instead of the people who actually build it being paid only enough to barely support themselves and produce a new generation of workers to be exploited in the same way, and all of their unpaid labor goes to the contractors and managers and then the house is sold at a ridiculous rate so none of the workers that built that house could ever afford to live in it, the workers will be paid fairly, the house will be sold at a reasonable price... and not for money either, but rather based on the idea of "each according to their need, according from their abbility"
i am using the example of a house here, because that is probably the first thing that will be done in this country in the socialist system(on the path to communism) because the condition of the housing market at present

reference: www.thisiscommunism.org