10 unique traits of a person who grew up rich, according to psychology

On December 14, 2024By Online Niel

When people dream of being rich, their first thought instantly goes to the money they would spend. From designer clothes to large luxurious homes, the possibilities are endless.

However, a person who grew up rich is not so eager to reveal his status. In truth, most people would never know if a person is rich unless they reveal it themselves. That being said, there are some unique traits that rich people possess and by extension cannot hide.

The 10 unique traits of a person who grew up rich, according to psychology

1. They are ultra-confident and self-assured

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If a person grew up rich, they probably are the safest person in the room. With their heads held high, these people don’t let little things like insecurity get them down.

Just getting the best of life, it doesn’t make much sense for them to become insecure now. In their eyes, they don’t have a single thing to feel insecure about because of their high education and family status. In addition, they are probably extremely wealthy, thanks to their family privileges.

A study published in Emotion magazine found that people who have a higher income tend to be prouder, braver and more confident. So, if one has the opportunity to meet a person who grew up living a good life, observe them closely. They may find that this rich person is the most confident person they have ever met.

2. They are not easily impressed by materialistic things

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A person who grew up rich is not easily impressed by your Dyson air pack or brand new Chanel purse. The rise of the ultra-rich has taught rich people that designer clothes and makeup are just another cheap trick people fall for to make themselves look richer.

As a result, the truly wealthy avoid “sticky” materialistic things and stick to unknown name brands. Although it might sound strange to everyone else, people who grew up rich understand that real wealth is silent.

For this reason, they are not too concerned whether their shoes are Louis Vuitton or not. They prefer to invest in quality experiences rather than materialistic desires.

This is great for them because research published by Journal of Experimental Psychology found that spending money on experiences rather than possessions leads to greater and lasting happiness.

3. They are informed

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People would like to assume that privileged children grow up with zero obstacles in life. And certainly their lifestyle is much easier than those who are struggling to make ends meet. However, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t expected to meet high standards growing up.

In fact, rich parents place a lot of expectations on their children. As a result, people who grew up rich are much smarter than others give them credit for. According to one study published in Intelligence, IQ scores and money earned are linked. Specifically, the researchers found that each point increase in IQ scores was associated with an increase in money from $202 to $616 per year.

In addition, notes Cornell University that rich students have better opportunities, which makes them earn more money to maintain their wealth. This combination shows that while intelligence is sometimes genetically given, it can certainly be created with a little wealth.

4. They have a questionable work ethic

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It’s never good to stereotype, but a person who grew up rich really has a special way of doing things. Instead of following the saying “hard work pays off”, they truly believe in the saying “work smarter, not harder”.

When you think of billionaires like Elon Musk, it never crosses people’s minds that they could do manual labor. As most people understand, billionaires usually make money work for themnot vice versa.

As a result, don’t expect to find the rich working a 9-5 job. Instead, most rich people oversee things and let others do the work for them, which leads to a strange or questionable work ethic.

5. They are very anxious

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Another unique trait of a person who grew up rich is that they are very anxious. Being a rich kid doesn’t mean problems stop. Whether they are only children or have multiple siblings, their standard for achieving excellence is still the same.

Their parents absolutely expected high grades, with zero exceptions. Combined with all the extracurricular activities they were forced to do, is it any wonder why so many people who grew up rich are absolute perfectionists?

According to a study published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, children who grow up rich tend to be more likely to develop anxiety. Researchers have found that this is likely due to excessive pressure to perform or isolation from parents.

This explains why so many rich people are perfectionists and, most importantly, why they are so anxious.

6. He changes his identity a lot

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Many people who grew up rich don’t really know themselves. Growing up in a wealthy family often meant they weren’t allowed to pursue their interests. Caught in their family’s expectations, there was little room for them to figure out who they were, leading them to often change their identities as adults.

A study published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies found that children from wealthy families tend to struggle with identity formation. They explained that this is likely the result of feeling disconnected from their families and, by extension, their communities.

Really rich people may not be as contented as most people would like to think. Since they had to follow the lines set before them, they never got to make their own decisions, resulting in an identity crisis that only worsened with age.

7. They are not impulsive and do not believe in taking risks

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Another unique trait of people who grew up rich is that they are not impulsive. When watching stereotypical movies, rich people are often portrayed as egotistical maniacs with no self-control. As a result, most people assume that to be rich, one must take insane risks to get to the top. However, this could not be further from the truth.

Conformable a working document written by Antoni Bosch-Domènech and Joaquim Silvestre, although rich people are increasingly likely to take risks when the amount of money is small, the same cannot be said for larger risks. Specifically, non-wealthy people were increasingly likely to take risks when the financial sum was greater compared to wealthy people.

This means that people who grow up rich are unlikely to risk their finances unless they are confident that doing so will benefit them. Not wanting to lose, they will carefully weigh their investments before making a decision.

8. I do not agree

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Not surprisingly, a person who grew up rich might not be the most agreeable person. Accustomed to a life of privilege, these individuals do not know what it’s like to compromise and hear the word “no”. As a result, they are strong and stubborn, refusing to bend to the will of others unless it benefits their long-term goals.

While this might sound like a stretch, this sentiment actually aligns with a study published in Financial planning review, which found agreeableness to be associated with less wealth.

This is why rich people should be careful and learn how to throw in the towel every blue moon. Otherwise, they can be labeled as just another rich kid who doesn’t care about anyone but themselves.

9. They are not that social

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It might come as a surprise, but a person who grew up rich is not likely to be so social. Being used to attending small private schools and being isolated from most of society did not allow them to make as many friends.

Not only that, most rich people don’t feel the need to have that many friends in the first place. According to researchers from Emory University and the University of Minnesota, rich people spend less time socializing.

Specifically, a survey that analyzed 120,000 American responses found that people with higher incomes spent less time socializing and more time alone. Additionally, if they did spend time socializing, they tended to do so more with friends than with family.

10. They are emotionally stable

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Finally, growing up rich is often associated with being wild and reckless. Most people would assume that rich people could not have control over their emotions, but this stereotype is just another common misconception.

According to one study published in Income, having better emotional regulation was associated with higher well-being, socioeconomic status, and income.

Having said that, having the ability to control one’s emotions is not easy at all. For most people, it takes a lot of restraint and practice to catch their thoughts and feelings. However, unlike most people, people who have become rich understand that to be truly successful they must first control their mind.

Marielisa Reyes is a writer with a BA in Psychology who covers self-help, relationship, career, family, and astrology topics.