Monday Musings: What Rich People Know That We’re Just Figuring Out
I spend a lot of time lurking on Reddit, and one topic that comes up often is wealth disparity. It’s not surprising as this is, after all, one of the defining issues of our generation. The questions take different forms, but they usually boil down to this: what do rich people do than poor people don’t? There’s a certain obsession with decoding how to look rich, and just as urgently, how to avoid looking poor. I understand this. As someone who grew up financially challenged, there is definitely a pressure to break away from being perceived that way. Is that wrong?
I’m not rich, relatively, but I do sometimes hang out with rich people (being a member of two country clubs among other things). This is what I’ve observed rich people do differently. Do with this information what you will.
For rich people, health is literal wealth. A lot of rich people I know (note: not all! But enough) spend time and money to be as healthy as possible. From what they eat, the workouts they do, the treatments (both medical and holistic) that they get, health is a huge priority. Imagine, a personal trainer is easily P20,000 a month on the low end; if they have a sport, that’s another easy P30,000 depending on the sport. They have cooks and nutritionists. They do regular checkups and tests. They are also heavily insured should something happen despite their best efforts. They know that once their health fails, no money in the world can buy back quality of life and peace of mind.
Status markers are different between groups of rich people, but are uniform within the group. There are different kinds of rich people; such as based on neighborhoods like Greenhills rich, Forbes/ Dasma rich, Valle Verde/ Greenmeadows rich, etc. There’s based on occupation like politician rich, successful business rich, generational wealth rich, etc. The interesting thing is that while there are universal status markers, there are also unique markers within the group. What they drive, the watch they have, the clothes and shoes they wear are all coded carefully. You’ll be surprised that this stuff does not need to be the most expensive, it just needs to be the right kind for the right group. Rich people know this “secret” language well, and to earn their respect you need to know the game. (Not that you need their respect, more of an FYI should you want it.)
Rich people buy time. One thing I’ve noticed is that rich people treat time very differently. They guard it, delegate what they can, and buy back their hours wherever possible.. They outsource tasks they don’t want to do (cleaning, cooking, even errands), not just for convenience but because they understand that their time is better spent making bigger-picture decisions or simply resting. This is also why a lot of them don’t hesitate to pay for services that promise efficiency. Personal assistants, premium subscriptions, concierge healthcare, you name it. It’s not laziness, it’s leverage. And when you’re not scrambling just to get through the day, you actually have the energy and clarity to make smarter choices. That’s a kind of privilege that pays off in the long run.
At the end of the day, the goal isn’t to look rich. It’s to feel content. Happiness, peace of mind, and the freedom to live exactly the life you want, well, that’s real wealth. And yes, money can absolutely help with that. But so can clarity and self-awareness. Wealth is a tool. Joy is the point.
