The Really Rich and the Fake Rich -

What our senses convey to us is not always the truth. When we see a well-dressed person stepping out of their expensive car, we think he or she is wealthy. Just because someone looks rich does not mean they are truly rich. Being rich is a state of consciousness and requires much more than huge money in one’s bank account. There are two types of rich people in the world: the genuinely rich and the fake rich. By reading the points below, you will understand the differences between the two.

1) The truly rich people are humble and down-to-earth individuals and not show-offs. They let their accomplishments and personalities speak for themselves. They do not flaunt their material possessions, so you will not find them posting photos of their newly bought luxury cars and mansions on social media. The fake rich, on the other hand, are always seeking validation, so love to show off their possessions both in social media and conversations.

2) The genuine rich people are knowledge seekers and are always looking to become better versions of themselves. They are choosy about the people they mix up with and do not waste their time in gossiping and useless conversations. The fake rich usually latch onto to anyone who can put up with their low-quality conversations and bragging.

3) Living with values and elegance ranks very high in the priority list of authentic rich people. Such individuals do not live a reckless life of partying, binge drinking and drugs. They inculcate high values even in their children—these could include not wasting electricity, water, etc. The fake rich blow away large amounts of their money in sensuous pleasures and bad habits. These individuals seek no deeper meaning in life and live only for money and to seek thrills and sensory enjoyment.

4) The truly rich people are wealth creators and invest their money systematically and with planning. Unlike the fake rich, such individuals do not fall for quick rich schemes and fraudulent schemes. Fake rich people have no long-term vision or goals and live only for the moment. Most fake rich people do not know how to handle their finances and land up in a debt trap. These individuals like to take shortcuts to making money because they often are not sincere and hard-working people. You will often find such people talking about their plans and doing nothing or very little to achieve their goals.

5) Fake rich people suffer from an inner emptiness which they fill by relentless shopping sprees and purchasing things they do not really need. They do not realize that it is elegant to live within one’s budget and means. Such individuals often splurge money just to keep up an appearance that they are doing well in life, and everything is under their control. Those who are truly rich are wise in spending money and are careful spenders. Most such people are not spendthrifts as we often imagine. However, they are not misers and in fact can spend lavishly on something but only if it adds value in their life.

6) Being overly conscious of brand names, latest trends and fads is one of the traits of a fake rich person. Such people are so obsessed with big brands that they often purchase fake stuff to show off—it is okay so long as other people see the brand name. The authentically rich people do not run after big brands because they know big brands do not always mean good quality. These individuals prefer quality and comfort to big brand names and don’t mind spending a sizeable amount to get what they want.

7) Truly rich people are not insecure about their wealth, so do not need validation and praise from others. The fake rich individuals are always trying hard to impress others and comparing themselves with others. The fake rich always try to keep up with the Joneses. Contrary to what many people believe, the truly rich gracefully enjoy their material possessions but do not get addicted to them. It is the fake rich who are truly materialistic and obsessed with their expensive gadgets, cars, villas and so on.

8) An authentically rich person truly possesses lots of money and property, unlike the fake rich who despite his or her outward show of wealth, is heavily under debt. Truly rich people do not take loans to fund a luxurious lifestyle, while the fake rich often do this. The fake rich rarely save money because they use most of it maintaining their image and social status—they obsess about appearing successful and in full control of their lives.

9) When an authentic person truly has lots of something, they do not talk about it. Therefore, the really wealthy do not talk about money; they talk about creating value in society. The fake rich people talk only about money because they do not have it or have an abysmal hunger for it. For such people, serving the customers and society is of little importance because these are just means to mint money. Other than making money, the fake rich have little interest in other topics.

10) Fake rich people often indulge in name-calling to impress others. Name-calling means to show off one’s connections to influential people. The really wealthy ones do not need to do this as they themselves are well-connected or can create their own connections. The fake rich people also try to become important by using the glamour, fame and success of others such as celebrities. You will often find such individuals seeking selfies with celebrities and then splashing the photo on social media to appear important. It would be wise never to indulge in name-calling while talking to a wealthy person. They are not impressed by this because they have been there and seen it all.

If you have spotted other traits in the fake rich and the genuinely rich, so mention them in the comments below.

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Photo by Mathieu Stern on Unsplash