JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div class="container">
   <div class="element"></div>
   <div class="element"></div>
   <div class="element"></div>
   <div class="element">
       <div class="container">
           <div class="element"></div>
           <div class="element"></div>
           <div class="element"></div>
       </div>
   </div>
</div>

JavaScript

removeIfNested = function(index) {
    // this is the corrent DOM element
    $this = $(this);
    return_value = false
    $.each($this.attr('class').split(/\s+/), function(index) {
        if ($this.parents("." + this).length > 0) {
            return_value = default_value || true;
        }
    });
    return return_value;
}


alert($(".container").find(".element").not(removeIfNested).length)