Questions That Have Answers

 

Two baffling questions:

1. Why do people feign poverty ... or pretend they are poor even though they are self-sufficient?

2. And why do poor people pretend to be rich? What are their motivations?

It is not uncommon to feel envious of other people's wealth and money. It is the lowest of all feelings as jealousy eats you alive and how you resent your neighbor even a family member who was quite successful in their work.

In a materialistic society such as ours, having a lot of moolah is synonymous with high social and economic standing. It has become more like a status symbol. In a commercial society, having money or wealth and things that can be bought by wealth, such as cars, houses, or fine clothing are considered status symbols.

Poor people pretend to be rich ... and by doing so ... he is feeding a rescue mission to his hungry and fast-slipping self-worth.  His fantasies are a self-employed defense mechanism to satisfy his needs and wants ... giving him a place in the world even though it is just temporary.

People pretending to be rich are sometimes called the pseudo-rich ... the faux richer, a social gatecrasher, or worse a social climber.

On the other hand ... at the other end of the spectrum are the mooch - people with money pretending to be poor. The word's original definition, "pretend poverty," might stem from the Middle English word mucchen which means "to be stingy," or literally, "to keep coins in one's nightcap." 

I have a better term for them - FREELOADERS.

A mooch personality and a freeloader exploit the generosity of others. If one cheats his drinking buddies by writing them a check to avoid paying because he doesn't have cash, when one has the habit of getting a lift or hitchhiking his way to work to avoid bus fares, when one borrows cigarettes and asks for food or money in the streets or when one uses some people's cellphones in the name of saving because he doesn't want to buy a load ... or when one frequent his nocturnal visits in your house because he is always welcome to dine in with you -  moochers and a freeloader can push the limits of friendship by making a habit of manipulating others to avoid paying their fair share.