וְיִּשְ רָ אֵ ל אָ הַ ב אֶּ ת יוֹסֵ ף מִּ כָל בָ נָיו לז ג The special love he got from his father can theoretically be the cause of Yosef's Ga'ava. But more likely, the special Nachas that Yaakov had from him was precisely because of his independence. Yaakov himself was always struggling for the top, as Eisav said: וַיַעְ קְ בֵ נִּ י זֶּה פַ עֲ מַ יִּם כז לו he fooled me twice, getting the Bechora and the Brachos from his older brother. Yaakov was even born in a position of trying to overcome his brother: וְיָדוֹ אֹ חֶּ זֶּת בַ עֲקֵ ב עֵ שָ ו כה כו gripping on to the heel of his brother. So Yaakov saw his own: תְ נוֹכוּת attributes in Yosef, and therefore he loved him especially.
The Nisayon of Ga'ava Can Cause a Person to Become Distanced from Hashem, But When Used L'shem Shamayim It Can Bring Him Even Closer Yet, we see a certain Hanhaga of Romemus in Yosef which we don’t find in Yaakov at all. Whereas Yaakov appears to always be struggling and aiming upwards, Yosef goes around as if he is on top of everybody. Perhaps this is why only Yosef is considered the: שִּ טְ נוֹ שֶּ ל עֵ שָ יו rival of Eisav, and only he will eventually destroy Eisav, as it says: וְהָ יָה בֵ ית יַעֲ קֹ ב אֵ ש וּבֵ ית יוֹסֵ ף לֶּ הָ בָ ה וּבֵ ית עֵ שָ ו לְ קַ ש עובדיה א יח One day the house of Yaakov will be fire, and the house of Yosef will be a flame, and the house of Eisav will be straw. Yosef is similar to Eisav, upon whom it says: וַיֶּאֱ הַ ב יִּצְ חָ ק אֶּ ת עֵ שָ ו כה כח Yitzchok loved Eisav.
The one who is loved more than everyone else becomes a Baal Ga'ava (P.S. you cannot compare וְרִּ בְ קָ ה אֹ הֶּ בֶּ ת אֶּ ת יַעֲ קֹ ב Rivka’s love of Yaakov, since Yitzchok was the Ikar of the house). So both Yosef and (L'havdil) Eisav appeared to have a similar Nisayon of Ga'ava; just that Eisav became a wicked: תוֹעֲ בַ ת ה' כָל גְ בַ הּ לֵ ב משלי טז ה Baal Ga'ava, the abomination of Hashem. Eisav hates others, like it says: וְעֶּ בְ רָ תוֹ שְ מָ רָ ה נֶּצַ ח עמוס א יא his hatred lasts forever, and anyone who challenges his position is in Sakana (danger).
Whereas Yosef uses his: וַיִּ גְ בַ הּ לִּ בוֹ בְ דַ רְ כֵ י ה' uplifting his heart in the service of Hashem to become a Melech; first over himself, i.e., control over his own base Retzonos (the wife of Potiphar), and later over the whole land of Mitzrayim. And then he saves the world from starvation.
