Hiring a programmer much more qualified & experienced than yourself? [closed]

Question

My employer is hiring a programmer - more specifically, I am interviewing and selecting the person who will fill the position.

The best candidate right now is far more qualified than I am, older, and a lot more experienced.

Other people I've talked to have said that hiring someone more qualified than myself is a really bad idea (my family included). And I get the feeling that other technical staff here have a similar attitude (considering that this applicant is also more qualified than they are).

They're saying, or thinking, that hiring someone better qualified is going to hurt my and my current colleague's efforts to move up in the company, or are afraid that a Johnny-come-lately is going to steal the spotlight and current staff will be left behind as promotions are given out and new positions open up.

Personally I'd love to work with this applicant, and learn from them. I'm confident enough in myself to not be afraid that someone new and more experienced is going to come in and start making me look bad. I'd like to use this as an opportunity to grow, and I don't think that being afraid of competition or of new people like this is rational or beneficial.

Or maybe I'm just being naive.

What do you think? And have you ever had an experience similar to this? How did it work out for you?