11 Tacky Symbols Of Wealth That Make Even The Richest People Look Cheap
Lipik Stock Media | Shutterstock Especially in our society, where so many people are struggling with basic necessities and clinging to dreams of financial comfort, watching people flaunt wealth online and buy outrageously expensive things can feel disillusioning. That's part of the reason why there are many tacky symbols of wealth that make even the richest people look cheap — everything from designer fashion statements to dropping small mentions of income in a conversation.
Of course, we all have personal tastes and interests. Just because you're "tacky" to someone else and perceived to be flaunting wealth doesn't make you a bad person. However, as research from Transmission Private suggests, being perceived to flaunt online or in conversations can have certain impacts on your personal reputation, so it's important to cling to your own authenticity, rather than the pursuit of external validation.
Here are 11 tacky symbols of wealth that make even the richest people look cheap
1. Dropping income or mentions of price in conversations
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If the first thing that comes out of a person's mouth when they gift something is the price tag, chances are they're subtly flaunting wealth in ways that can feel tacky to the people around them. If they're boasting about the cost of their meal the night before or even dropping their salary information into a conversation that has nothing to do with it, they're sabotaging their reputation and making everyone around them uncomfortable.
As a study from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology explains, when a person seems to flaunt their income or luxury goods to others, they're labeled as "selfish" and perceived to be attempting to boost their own social status. It's not about personal jealousy or envy, but frustration with a lack of intentionality around true connections over validation.
2. Name-dropping
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Even if it's not necessarily a tangible item, name-dropping in a conversation, specifically for validation and envy, is one of the tacky symbols of wealth that make even the richest people look cheap. While it might seem harmless to some, in most cases a listener can immediately see right through the tactic.
Not only does it push people away from genuine connection and conversation, but it can easily sabotage a person's reputation and trust. If they're always looking for validation, it'll be easy to spot these tacky behaviors.
3. Luxury logos on everything
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From designer luggage bags to bold, flashy clothing pieces with brands plastered all over them, these bold displays of wealth often come across as flaunting. They're tacky symbols of wealth that make even the richest people look cheap.
Of course, we all have our personal interests and tastes, and there's a double-edged sword between flashy, expensive clothing and new trends of "quiet luxury" alternatives. But, for the most part, when people see these flashy items, they're distracted and annoyed — like a walking advertisement.
4. Entitlement around service workers
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According to psychologist Reena B. Patel, many people who are rude to service workers use these interactions to cope with their own fears, insecurities, and stress. Instead of coping with it on their own, they take out this anger and frustration on people they perceive to be "lower status" than themselves.
However, for some wealthy people who have inherently entitled attitudes, it's all about status. They are rude to people they deem less worthy of attention, based solely on their occupation of wealth. It's not only tacky in the eyes of people around them, it's also toxic and rude.
5. Over-sharing their generosity
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Whether it's posting evidence of their donations online, oversharing about their volunteering hobbies, or bragging about their "generosity," these are some of the tacky social symbols of wealth that make even the richest people look cheap.
Especially considering that it's often the low-income communities and people in our country who are actually the most giving and generous, watching rich people — with plenty of disposable income to help others — brag about their small contributions is tacky and annoying.
6. Overemphasizing their 'hard work'
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While it's often true that many wealthy and upper-class people had to work hard for their money, relying on the "American Dream" sentiment and over-emphasizing the importance of work ethic to make money is more tacky and harmless than it seems on the surface. Not only does it tend to inadvertently shame people living in poverty, who are already working multiple jobs and dealing with financial struggles every day, but it also comes off as entitled to people who may be listening.
We don't always understand someone's financial struggles in passing conversations, which is why language is so powerful and important. If we're using this "work ethic" narrative, we could also be simultaneously shaming someone else who's already struggling and working hard, amplifying their financial hardship and uncertainty.
7. Overconsumption
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From overspending on things they don't need to pressuring people to overspend themselves, leaning into our consumerist culture — whether it's in a casual conversation or within content on social media — is often one of the tacky symbols of wealth that make even the richest people look cheap.
Especially around other people or on social media, this kind of subconscious advertisement for consumerism can be incredibly harmful. For individuals who feel the need to buy things to elevate their social status or feed into trends for a sense of belonging, this sentiment only amplifies their financial hardship and shame.
8. An overly materialistic home
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Even though curating a safe space and having an aesthetic at home that speaks to our individuality is important, walking into someone's space and feeling overwhelmed by all the "stuff" can feel tacky.
Curating an aesthetic and buying things that align with their taste is one thing — and if you have the money to spend, things like this are often an empowering behavior — but feeding into trends and using spending to fill your space with random stuff is another.
It's one of the tacky symbols of wealth that make even the richest people look cheap, especially in our society, where so many people are struggling to afford a roof over their heads in the first place.
9. Stacks of branded jewelry
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Much like overly dramatic designer clothing filled with logos, many people believe that stacks of branded jewelry taking over someone's body are tacky symbols of wealth that make even the richest people look cheap.
It feels less about style and personal taste, and more about showing off to people and flaunting personal wealth.
10. Misconstruing expensive things with taste
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When a wealthy person misconstrues pricey things with tasteful ones, it often comes across as tacky to everyone else. They brag about how expensive something is and buy trendy things, rather than things that truly resonate with their personal interests, and leave a piece of their authenticity behind.
The most tacky thing someone can do, whether they have a ton of money or not, is consistently buy, wear, and acquire things based on the interests of everyone else — rather than themselves.
11. Flexing access and success
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Especially when it comes to personal goals, bragging about and talking about things before they've actually achieved them is one of the quickest ways to come across as inauthentic and tacky in conversations.
Even on a personal level, it might offer a tacky person a sense of relief in the face of external validation, but in the long run, it only sabotages their progress and motivation for actually achieving the goal, as psychology professor Marwa Azab explains.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
