11 Life Skills Wealthy People Prioritize That Middle-Class People Often Avoid
They have the time, money, and energy to spend cultivating them.
LightField Studios | Shutterstock The skills people acquire and how they choose to spend their time actually has a lot to do with their financial status, at least according to a study from Harvard Business School. Specifically when it comes to leisure time, wealthy people have more freedom of choice — they don't have to work or worry about household responsibilities like cleaning, and instead prioritize active hobbies and habits that add value to their lives.
That's why there are certain life skills wealthy people prioritize that middle-class people often avoid. From how they navigate work to how they spend their free time, their lifestyles look radically different. So, it's not surprising that their life skills, values, priorities, and rituals also differ dramatically from each other.
Here are 11 life skills wealthy people prioritize that middle-class people often avoid
1. Investing
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Whether it's making a big purchase that will pay off later, investing in literal stocks and projects, or finding a way to take time away from professional work to invest in their personal hobbies, these are some of the life skills wealthy people prioritize that middle-class people often avoid.
Of course, it's not because middle-class people wouldn't like to focus on personal growth, creativity, or making their money work for them; it's because they don't have the knowledge or time to do so. According to a study from Pew Research Center, people in upper-income households are far more likely to understand personal finances and to boast a kind of financial literacy that supports their investments than their lower-income counterparts.
2. Public speaking
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While studies, like one from the European Journal of Communication, argue that the wealthiest percentiles of people tend to avoid media and public forums, other typical rich households and professionals may be more equipped to excel in them — with life skills like management, emotional intelligence, and public speaking that support their success.
While middle-class people and workers may avoid the spotlight in situations where public speaking is needed, they may also struggle to achieve the kind of seniority — due to things like lacking free time, struggles with work-life balance, or little professional connections — at work that requires these skills.
Wealthy people can also take risks and rely on choice to find their best professional situation, so it's not surprising that they land high-paying jobs and management roles where public speaking is a common requirement. They don't have to work to survive, so they're picky.
3. Planning for the future
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Planning of the future — whether it's financial, personal, or professional — is one of the ways rich people get ahead. They're not only better at leveraging unique habits like vision-boarding to plan, they tend to have more time to practice and experiment with their options — a kind of freedom lower-income households rarely have.
According to a study from TD Bank, one in five successful wealthy entrepreneurs use vision boards to brainstorm ideas, craft their businesses, motivate themselves, and excel on a daily basis. So, setting goals and envisioning the future are some of the life skills wealthy people prioritize that middle-class people often avoid.
Especially as the middle-class continues to shrink and more people start to experience the anxiety and stress of financial turmoil, it may become even more of a struggle to plan for the future, hence the avoidance of behaviors like vision-boarding or manifesting that force people to consider it.
4. Reading regularly
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According to a study from self-help author Tom Corley, 88% of financially successful people read more than 30 minutes per day. Of course, they have the free time to flex their muscles and engage in active habits, compared to middle-class people with less financial freedom of choice, so of course they're going to be more well-read.
So, even if they're avoiding it because of time, energy, or a lack of practice, middle-class people are missing out on the benefits of reading — especially for pleasure, like many wealthy people do regularly.
5. Mentorship
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According to a study from the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, the most financially and socially successful people leverage mentorship in every aspect of their lives. From being a mentor to others and seeking guidance, advice, and knowledge for themselves, leaning into constructive feedback and learning is one of the life skills wealthy people prioritize that middle-class people often avoid.
Without the pressure and resentment of financial worry on their shoulders — the kind of things that may keep middle-class workers or peers from actively connecting and seeking mentorship from peers — wealthy people can lean into the benefits of mentorship.
6. Getting ready every day
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Regardless of whether or not it's a weekend or a day they have off from work, wealthy people often get ready for the day no matter what. They're doing their hair, putting on an outfit, and making themselves feel confident and presentable in whatever way that looks like for them.
While it may seem subtle, it's one of the life skills wealthy people prioritize that middle-class people often avoid — because, let's be honest, who doesn't love lounging in pajamas on a Saturday? However, dressing up — or at least getting ready for the day — can help to boost mood, productivity, and self-esteem in important ways.
So, even if it seems silly, getting ready no matter what may be one of the habits that makes wealthy people so financially successful and motivated.
7. Self-discipline
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Many people, especially those already struggling with a lot of chaos, stress, and anxiety in their lives, mistake self-discipline for motivation. They believe that they need to feel "motivated" to start a task or be productive, when in reality, it comes down to self-discipline. If you're a disciplined person, you complete tasks and get things done, even when you didn't have any motivation to begin with.
Of course, alongside financial literacy, self-discipline is one of the most important skills in building real wealth, so it's not surprising that it's one wealthy people prioritize, while other income classes misguidedly avoid it.
8. Social awareness
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While many people, regardless of income, have a basic social awareness that allows them to read the room, connect with others, and empathize when needed, wealthy people tend to boast a kind of worldly awareness that supports advocacy, knowledge, and context.
They know what's going on in the world, they understand their privileges to some degree, and they often understand how information, knowledge, and awareness are commodities that must be prioritized and can't be purchased, so they make rituals to embrace and seek them.
So, while other people may avoid headlines, news, and worldly events to cope with their already chaotic and stressful lives, wealthy people have the choice and emotional capacity to indulge.
9. Financial literacy
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While financial literacy isn't always the key to cultivating or maintaining wealth — hence, generational families and sheer privilege — it's often one of the life skills wealthy people prioritize that middle-class people often avoid, even if it's entirely subconscious.
Middle-class people may be more prone to emotional spending or financial impulsivity to cope with their chronic stress or anxiety — the kind of routines, like working multiple jobs or having to do household labor themselves, that wealthy people are never subjected to. They may be avoiding financial literacy and healthy money habits without realizing it, trying to feign a kind of social belonging and emotional stability by overspending and feeding into consumerism.
10. Living within their means
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According to a study from Social Sciences & Humanities Open, people who are disempowered or marginalized are often more likely to overspend to acquire status symbols or misguided signs of wealth. They yearn for a sense of belonging, community, and sometimes envy that wealthy people receive whilst living within their means.
They don't need to overextend themselves, because they have the money and financial security to afford whatever they want — without needing to sacrifice stability for attention or validation from others. That's why living within their means becomes one of the life skills wealthy people adopt easily, while middle-class people tend to avoid it subconsciously.
11. Networking
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According to experts from Cornell University, it's wealthy people that tend to boast the most social connections compared to their low-income counterparts, so when they need advice, support, or help, they turn to these trusted networks. Networking is one of the life skills wealthy people prioritize that middle-class people often avoid, even if they don't realize it.
This could be for a number of reasons — from pre-existing family connections, to having the time for networking conferences and meetings, and even having the knowledge on how to approach and engage in professional environments, from dress codes to lingo.
Middle-class people may simply be too burnt out, socially drained, or emotionally tense to engage in small talk and professional events, so they avoid them for the sake of their own well-being and time.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
