11 Things People Judge Differently About You Depending On How Wealthy You Are
Money isn't everything, despite what society may tell us.
MAYA LAB | Shutterstock Most Americans believe that money is a taboo subject. It's considered rude to discuss how much money you make or how much things cost. Flaunting your wealth is seen as incredibly classless and is considered a serious faux-pas. Yet rich people have subtle ways of signaling their wealth, even with rigid social rules dictating what's acceptable and what's not.
American society revolves around materialism and purchasing power. The richer someone is, the more power and social influence they have. There will always be things people judge differently about you depending on how wealthy you are, even though they have nothing to do with money.
Here are 11 things people judge differently about you depending on how wealthy you are
1. The clothes you wear
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As much as we pretend otherwise, people make snap judgments about each other based on what they're wearing. Someone dressed in sweatpants will be perceived differently by someone in a suit. Your sense of style is something people judge differently about you depending on how wealthy you are.
When a rich person wears casual clothes, they're told how humble and down-to-earth they are, but a poor person in the same outfit is seen as lazy and disheveled. If you're wealthy, thrifting is a cool thing to get into, but you're looked down on if you're thrifting because you have a limited budget.
Still, as the Columbia Political Review pointed out, "high fashion companies have capitalized on this idea of vintage inspired clothing." They analyzed "the rise of blue-collar cosplay in the high fashion market," noting that this fashion trend is nothing new.
Throughout history, rich people have been known to "dress down," especially in times when income inequality is more pronounced. Think of every tech billionaire who wears hoodies, every celebrity who walks the red carpet in workout gear.
"The ability to choose expensive ripped up clothing is just another unspoken class signifier," the Columbia Political Review explained. "There are those who can afford to pay for ripped up jeans and those who cannot afford a new pair at all."
2. Leisure time
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Depending on how wealthy you are, people judge you differently if you take time off from work. For rich people, not working is interpreted as self-care. Prioritizing rest is a way to seek out inner peace. For poor people, not working means you're lazy, period.
Being poor means that it doesn't matter how burnt out you are, you have to keep pushing through it, in order to make ends meet. Yet burnout recovery coach Bethany Sadler-Jasmin revealed that being burnt out goes beyond class status, due to the very American attitude that you have to work until you drop.
"Burnout in our culture is a symptom of the cultural mindset of productivity over leisure," she shared. "We've deprioritized leisure to such an extent that it's now demonized, viewed as lazy, and difficult to maintain."
"But leisure and rest are not luxuries; they are absolute necessities," Sadler-Jasmin explained, pointing out that "there has to be an equal balance" between work and rest, but for most people, "that balance doesn't exist."
3. Going to therapy
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Going to therapy has been stigmatized for a very long time, yet the tides are slowly turning, due to Gen Z's advocacy around mental health. Still, people judge you differently for seeing a therapist, depending on how wealthy you are. If you're rich, therapy is a path to self-awareness and self-improvement. If you're poor, being in therapy is seen as a character default, because you have issues you can't handle on your own.
Despite that pervasive social attitude, psychologist Dr. Suniya Luther discovered a direct correlation between high economic status and mental health struggles.
According to her research, "the so-called 'privileged' or 'rich' kids were doing much more poorly... mostly on substance use, but also on depression and anxiety." Teenagers from upper-middle class families are more likely to experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse than other socioeconomic groups.
Reaching out for professional help and getting the support you need is something that should never be criticized. No one deserves to suffer, no matter how much money they have.
4. Owning a pet
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Pet ownership is one of the things people judge differently about you depending on how wealthy you are. A rich person who has pets is an animal lover, but a poor person with pets is wasting money on things they can't actually afford. A wealthy pet parent gets described as selfless, while a poor pet parent is selfish.
Being a pet parent is a serious commitment, on an emotional level and a financial level. It costs a significant amount of money to be a pet parent. According to a 2023 MetLife survey, pet owners spent an average of $4,800 on their furbabies.
Even if you can cover the cost of kibble and chew toys, a pet medical emergency can set people back in terms of savings: 45% of pet parents had to handle a major health event for their furry friend, and 82% of them said they weren't financially prepared to do so.
Money definitely provides a safety net, but it's not the only thing that should be taken into consideration when debating who makes a suitable pet owner.
5. Getting divorced
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People judge divorce differently depending on how wealthy you are. Being poor means facing more negative social commentary around being divorced. If you're rich and divorced, you get praised for putting your needs first and centering your happiness and independence. If you're going through a divorce as a poor person, you're criticized for having a failed marriage.
Getting divorced is an expensive process, and it can bring on a lot of financial strain. As licensed clinical psychologist Ann Gold Buscho, PhD pointed out, filing for divorce adds up: You have to cover the cost of lawyers, along with starting a new household on your own. The emotional toll of divorce can take years to overcome, and so can the financial setbacks.
6. Having kids
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If you're rich, having a big family is celebrated, but if you're poor, people judge you differently. People pass judgment on your personal decisions by calling you irresponsible. Having more money makes having more kids socially acceptable. You get praised as a family-oriented person, without any harsh words.
According to a Gallup poll, Americans are almost evenly divided on their attitudes toward ideal family size. Forty-five percent of Americans favor larger families with three or more kids, while 47% have a preference for smaller families, with two or less kids. The actual number of kids Americans have doesn't always match their ideals, in part because raising kids is so expensive.
7. Hiring a nanny
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Hiring a nanny is a hot-button issue, but it's one of the things people judge differently about you depending on how wealthy you are. Rich people with nannies are still seen as good parents, as they're just investing in self-care and delegating their household duties. They're able to afford the village that's supposed to help parents raise their kids.
Being poor means you get judged for your parenting decisions, and the outcome is rarely in your favor. Hiring a nanny becomes a moral issue, and you get shamed for not raising your own kids.
Being a parent in America isn't cheap, by any means, but it's harder now than it once was. The cost of childcare has skyrocketed, which makes accessing the village even more prohibitive.
8. Living with your parents
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We're living in unsteady times, economically speaking. It's hard for people to find a stable source of income. It's hard to afford rent and pay for groceries, along with other basic necessities.
A lot of young adults are living with their parents because the housing market is so expensive, with the U.S. Census Bureau estimating that 1 in 3 adults, aged 18 to 34, live at home with their parents. However, people who live with their parents are judged greatly depending on their wealth.
Moving back home when you're wealthy is a strategic move, one that highlights how financially literate you are. You're saving money to invest in your own home, which is seen as a respectable reason to live under the same roof as your parents. If you're poor, however, living at home is a sign you have no ambition. It's an unfortunate thing, rather than a genius, money-making move. Society tells you that you're failing at life, while telling rich people how much they're thriving.
9. Getting an inheritance
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They say there's no such thing as free money, but that all changes if you get an inheritance. When you're wealthy, having other wealthy family members pass on their money is framed as continuing the legacy. If you don't have money, and you inherit it, well... you're just really lucky.
Coming into money when you're poor holds a whole host of judgements that other people will openly share. You get financial advice you didn't ask for, and spending your inheritance on so-called luxury items is seen as a bad investment, and taken as proof that you never deserved to be rich at all.
10. Having hobbies
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Most hobbies cost some amount of money, unless you're sitting in an empty room, staring at a wall. But even then, you have to pay for the room. And it's one of the many things people judge differently about you depending on how wealthy you are.
When you're rich, having hobbies makes you a well-rounded individual who can apply to top-tier colleges and show them how talented and capable you are. But if you have hobbies when you're poor, you're wasting your time on things that don't matter.
Being rich means joining a dodgeball team means you're having fun and getting some exercise, as opposed to spending money you don't have on a game for kids.
11. Buying 'special little treats'
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While millennials get dragged by boomers for spending too much money on special little treats for themselves, a different demographic gets judged ever more: poor people. They get universally criticized for being financially irresponsible if they buy expensive things they don't need, like oat milk lattes and chocolate croissants every Friday, just because.
But being rich means that you can buy yourself everything you want, and no one judges you for being materialistic or wasting money. If you're rich, you deserve that special little treat, every single time. Rewarding yourself is framed as a great way to take care of yourself, but only if you make a certain amount of money.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a staff writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.