This question of why people want to look rich doesn’t have a straightforward answer that applies to everybody since the reason can vary from person to person.
However, what I want to try in this article is to talk about a few different reasons that I consider to be the most important ones and the mentality behind them.
If you are not one of those people who want to look rich by any means, it’s easy to say that this is a stupid behavior and nobody should do this, but when you try to understand why this happens, you might notice that it is not so unnatural.
Why do people want to look rich? You can’t fake it.
The biggest reason people want to look rich is that they think this is a way to impress others and gain their respect.
Wanting to impress other people is a thing that most of us do, more or less. Some of us want to impress others by how humble or smart we are, not only by how rich and well-off we are, so it’s not so easy to notice when someone is trying to impress.
Here is an entire article about why people want to impress and how to stop trying.
That being said, the easiest way to impress other people is to look rich and successful even if you are not. That is why this is the most obvious way people try to impress others, even if it is not the only one.
In many circumstances, there is better treatment for a person who seems rich than a person who seems poor, so you might say that it is worth trying to look rich to be treated better. However, that doesn’t mean you have to spend money on branded clothes or other superficial things, but rather you have to be well dressed in clean clothes that fit you well and well groomed, which is not an expensive thing to do.
When it comes to people who make a bit more money but are not actually rich, they buy certain things that they don’t need to prove that they are better than others, and their work is rewarded. It is a different reason compared to poor people that want to impress and be treaded better because they look rich.
What do people do to look rich?
Here are a few main things that most people who want to look rich are doing:
1. Branded clothes.
Clothes are the most obvious ones since they’re visible all the time, and it’s easy to fake. The downside is that branded clothes will not get you that far, if people around you know you are not rich, they will not be impressed by branded clothes since they will assume it’s fake.
But for the ones that don’t know you, it might work.
2. Luxury accessories.
Luxury accessories like watches, purses, and jewelry are a sign of being rich more than clothes themselves since they are not necessary to live your life. Yes, branded clothes are not necessarily as well, but clothes are.
Buying luxury accessories shows you have extra money to spend on capricious things.
3. Expensive food and drink
With this one, I can relate since my wife, and I love eating good food, trying as many restaurants as possible, and drinking some good cocktails.
However, I can tell you that most of the time, we can make better food or cocktail at home than what we eat at restaurants, and much cheaper. There is also the experience and the vibe at the restaurant that we enjoy, and most of the time, it is better at more expensive and high-end restaurants. But I would never go out if I couldn’t easily afford it, that is my rule since I know it is not necessary to eat at an expensive restaurant, and the price is not related to quality all the time.
Also, when it comes to drinks, I had the chance to drink some good aged alcohol drinks and compare them to some cheaper ones that are not aged, and I haven’t noticed a big difference. You have to find what is best for you, but don’t go for the price when it comes to food and drinks.
4. Cars
Cars are one of the most obvious signs of doing well and being rich, some might say that the house is a better one, but the truth is that you don’t go with your house when you meet someone and you can easily avoid inviting people to your house than showing your car. Yes, you can always go by taxi, but this will not give you “richness points”.
The worst part of the car being a symbol of wealth for many people is that it is not possible to fake it. You can’t fake a car as you would fake a branded cloth.
That being said, there is kind of a way to fake this, and it’s called debt. Many people go into debt to buy a car they actually don’t afford, only to show off. It’s obvious that this will only keep you poor for longer, but it is instant gratification, and your friends will be impressed at first; soon after, they will get used, and you will remain with the stress and struggle to pay off the debt.
5. House
Some people make a bigger credit to buy a house that is a bit more than they can afford, only to show that they are richer than they actually are. This is a bit harder to accomplish since the bank will check your earnings in order to know how big of a house you can afford, and a rich person will always afford way more than a poor one. So, it is kind of hard to fake this one, but some people will try anyway.
Does looking rich increase your chances of getting rich?
Fake it until you make it, and you have to run with the rich to end up one of them are just a few sayings that make you feel like looking rich will eventually make you rich.
The part that those sayings are missing is that an actual rich person with principles and values doesn’t appreciate someone by their clothes and brands but rather by what this person can bring to their life. There are tons of toxic rich people, but it is better to avoid trying to be one of them in the first place.
Also, trying to fake it until you make it might be the ticket to remaining poor since you will spend your money on superficial things that will not lower your budget for real investments that eventually will get you out of being poor.
Why do people want to impress with superficial things?
Branded clothes, luxury cars, expensive drinks, etc., are tangible things, and easy to understand how you can get them. Being a better person, more confident, assertive, emphatic, and so on are not easy to understand and achieve.
We can only imagine how hard it is to make someone a better person with actual valuable traits compared to pointing them out to make enough money to buy a watch or something along this line.
Instant gratification is also a factor, when you buy something, you get the benefits of it instantaneously, while when you work on yourself, you have to be patient, give it time, find the right people that will appreciate that, and so on. Eventually, you will be seen as a better person, and you will be respected more if you work on those things; also, it will last longer than the superficial things, but it is not fast by any means.
Are there advantages to looking rich?
Not many, especially in today’s world where billionaires wear t-shorts and jeans and entry-level employees might be obligated to wear suits.
In the short term, some people might be impressed by you, and you might feel good and more important, but that is where the advantages might end.
Also, you have to keep in mind that you will fool the poor or, in the best case middle class, but it is hard to fool the upper class or wealthy people with superficial things.
Read Also: 4 Disadvantages Of Being Curious
Conclusion
So there are many reasons why people want to look rich, not of them are healthy and will help you in the long run, so it is better to avoid them.
Take proper care of yourself, stay in shape, and buy clothes that fit you well, and you will have better chances to be more successful and less stressed than someone trying their best to look rich.
