It works better, I think, if mages (or telepaths, as the case may be) are an identifiable group with their own culture.
I read your post on magic systems and I see you're toying with the idea of fire mages as analogous to a despised but useful caste or racial minority. In that case you might very well get a conflict where some people want to be part of the wider society but are seen as traitors by the rest.