15 Things That Whisper "I’m High Class"

A general rule of thumb is that if your name is on your work clothes, you're working class; if it's on your office door, you're middle class; and if it's on your building, you're upper class. With that said, here are 15 things that whisper "I'm high class," and no, we're not talking about wearing a monocle, a top hat, and a walking stick. Okay, welcome to alux.com, the place where future billionaires come to get inspired.

Number one: A proper display of class, but not of wealth. Class is not synonymous with money; class is an attitude, a reputation—how the world perceives and treats you. People with class can always find money; not all people with money are able to find class. Class is being polite. Class is being gracious and hospitable. It's in the attention to detail, the quality of the materials, and how one presents themselves. Grooming, clothes, scent—all of it builds a representation of who you are and what you stand for.

Number two: Emotional control. High-class individuals never lose control; they score extremely high in EQ. High-class people could be burning on the inside, but they'll never show it on their face. Nobody ever remembers a time when losing control ended up positively. This allows them to connect with others and build trustful bonds, or even work efficiently with the people they despise. For high-class individuals, emotions are a tool. Outside of their personal lives, it's a tool they can leverage. Go to any charitable event, and more often than not, they'll play at your heartstrings, because emotions have the power to open up your wallet.

Number three: The way someone carries themselves. There's a presence high-class individuals have. People look at them; they want to be around them. They're interesting and shine slightly brighter than everyone else. High class is defined by the sum of all the little things that affect perception. All need to be aligned to maintain a cohesive image that builds over time. This way you know what they stand for and what values drive them. There are different versions of ourselves created in the minds of everyone we've ever met. When it comes to high-class individuals, most people carry the same version, and this can only be achieved through consistency over prolonged periods of time.

Number four: Education and knowledge. Education plays a big role for high-class individuals. Education isn't about covering the basics in school but how one should carry themselves when surrounded by peers. This is why the rich send their kids to expensive boarding schools. This way, they get to be around other kids with money, and because wealth is so common among them, it no longer becomes a personality-defining characteristic as it would be for someone who, for example, would grow up poor. For high-class individuals, it's not about the diploma, although it does help to keep the legacy and reputation intact, but it's about the sum of experiences and knowledge that one acquires. They learn etiquette, how not to speak over others, how to be polite, and how to leverage commonality to create bonds. While everyone else is focused on memorizing how the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, high-class individuals learn how to apply information into real life. They keep up with and understand current events. High-class individuals are experts in small talk and can put on a pleasant face whenever required.

Number five: Understanding the nuances of art and beauty. High-class individuals know a thing or two about fine art, but the truth is many ultra-rich people that don't care about art and its beauty still have massive art collections because high-class individuals know a secret most of the population doesn't: art doesn't just enrich your life; it can grow and protect your wealth. No really, for the past 25 years, art has been consistently outperforming traditional investments like stock, real estate, and gold. You see, while today's record levels of inflation have made it harder for you to afford basic goods like food and fuel, let alone the impact the economic turmoil has had on your retirement plan and investments, the ultra-rich aren't affected by recessions like you and I are; they can even get richer. That makes blue-chip art one of the best ways to grow and protect your own wealth during recessions. Now, you might be thinking, "Hey, Alux, how is a person like me supposed to protect my cash with a Picasso or a Banksy painting?" Well, that's where our friends at Masterworks come in. Masterworks is a platform that allows everyday people to invest in multi-million dollar paintings for just a fraction of the price. Instead of buying an entire painting, you can invest in shares of it, and once that painting is sold, the profits are split amongst the shareholders. So far, those profits have been impressive. Masterworks' last three art sales generated net returns of 10%, 14%, and a stunning 35%. Now, since Masterworks was kind enough to support our community and thousands of you have been successful investing with them, we've put an exclusive link in the description below; with it, you can skip their waiting list to join and start investing like the super wealthy today.

Number six: Location and appetite for experiences. High-class individuals have been places; they travel. They immerse themselves in different cultures. They're usually open-minded about trying new things and even have an appetite for unique experiences. This allows them to have a differentiated view of the world, usually accompanied by the ability to speak several languages fluently. The more you travel, the more you find of yourself. High-class individuals are not tourists; they're not in the hop-on, hop-off bus. They live with the locals. When traveling, you eat what's in season, not McDonald's. You've seen geography and remnants of history with your own eyes. The difference in class comes from how much territory has been explored. They don't brag about where they've been, but you can deduce it from the conversation.

Number seven: Being a legacy and having a heritage. This is one of the major differences between the U.S. and Europe. In the U.S., you have the rich and the poor, and the middle class is being wiped out through inflation. In Europe, on the other hand, you can have class even if you don't have money. While in the U.S., they respect money above everything else; in Europe, heritage carries more weight. The family history adds power and influence. Long-term heritage is more valuable than innovation, and that's why Steve Jobs said that LVMH will be a more valuable company than Apple. This story, in particular, is available for free on the Alux app.

Number eight: Watch how they treat other people when the situation presents itself. Most people try to shine a light on themselves; high-class individuals do the opposite. They put you on a pedestal. They ask questions, they pay attention; they're genuinely interested in learning more about you because they're fascinated by the new, and you don't learn anything new when you're talking. They value everyone and treat everyone nicely because they know gossip travels fast. Everyone has their public reputation and the ones spoken about behind closed doors. You know usually the second one is a lot closer to the truth than the first; just ask Ellen. If you're lucky to be in a position where other people are taking care of you, are making you food, are cleaning your mess, or increasing the quality of your life in any way, high-class individuals approach them with a sense of gratitude, not entitlement. And speaking of the staff:

Number nine: The staff knows their name. People know them personally because they're loyal. They eat at the same restaurants, stay at the same hotels, and buy from the same businesses. High-class individuals know the importance of establishing an ongoing relationship and what that means to the quality of the service provided to you. If someone has been your loyal customer for 10 years and needs something done urgently, you'll go above and beyond to make sure it gets done. People take care of you when you show loyalty.

Number ten: Interest and personal growth and development. The reason why they ask more questions than they speak is out of sheer curiosity. They want to learn; they're looking for new and exciting opportunities. High-class individuals are consistently learning. You see them at events; you see them networking. They're being mentored, coached, and trained by some of the most interesting people in the world. Just by being in the company of top performers helps you to keep an edge in the game. Plus, life is a lot more interesting when you keep interesting company that motivates you to uncover more of your potential. Now, you might be thinking this is awesome—that rich people are so privileged to be in a position where they can afford the counsel or coaching of top talent—and you're right to think that way. At Alux, we wanted to do something about this, so we found some of the most interesting people on the planet and paid them to create short coaching sessions that are actionable and impactful. We put all of this together in the Alux app. Go to alux.com/app right now and download it. This year alone, we're spending over half a million dollars into the quality of our app content, and you can get all of that value for $99 a year. The Alux.com app is the absolute best return on your money if you're looking to elevate your life and become high-class someday.

Number eleven: Plenty of assets. High-class individuals are mostly unemployable; you cannot hire them to work for you. The entire family owns enough assets to make sure everything is taken care of. High-class individuals do work, but it's usually at the family office, running one of the businesses the family owns. Traditionally, high class and old money is someone who's been wealthy for three generations. Take this opportunity to think about how impactful it would be to create generational wealth. You buy a couple of assets and keep them in the family; your kids buy a couple more assets and make sure to take care of the ones you've got. As long as everybody does their part—no divorces, no gambling addiction, or reckless spending—even average people can build wealth.

Number twelve: They're not impressed by money or find it entertaining to spend it. The thing about money is that once you have it, it no longer impresses you when other people flaunt it. Sure, there are levels of wealth the same way there are different size yachts or private jets, but the difference isn't that substantial. High-class individuals have access to premium services consistently, so there's no reason to flaunt it. You post the private jet pic to show people you've made it to private jet level. If everyone in your circle already flies private, well, there's nobody to impress, because that's your normal. Blowing through money doesn't bring pleasure, because spending money is a thrill only for those who do not have it. If you're wealthy, paying for overpriced bottles at the club seems just in poor spirit.

Number thirteen: A level of sophistication that allows you to sniff out pretenders. Who have money move differently than everybody else, especially those who've had money for a while? It's in the little things, the little tells, the excitement or boredom in their face to different stimuli. Most of the time, high-class individuals can easily tell when someone is just pretending to be high class, because it takes one to know one. Amongst them, trust should be earned and not given easily. Although social in nature, they always have their alerts in place because the name of the game is protection. People with money don't come after someone else's money; it's one of the great benefits of having rich friends when you're rich yourself. The great thing about being around rich people is they don't feel the need to want some of yours.

Number fourteen: They protect their reputation above everything else. When it comes to class, your reputation is everything. Build it right, and it doesn't matter what life throws at you; you can overcome it. This is why reputation and class are so important and so valuable. Your name should be worth more than anything you've ever purchased. That's the power of your personal brand. People know you're good for it; they know you can deliver; they know you stand by your word. High-class individuals would take a financial loss if it meant their reputation remains intact, because money you can always earn back, but once a reputation is tainted, it'll stick like that in the minds of everyone, no matter how hard you try to move away from it. Kim K is incredibly successful, but to most people, she'll always be the one who got famous for that Ray J tape. Kylie doesn't have a tape, but the entire family is tainted. No matter how much money or success there is, class cannot be bought.

Number fifteen: Help is available if needed. People take care of things for you, from the little things like getting a table at a fully booked restaurant to having the concierge plan your holiday so everything is just as you like it, to getting you a meeting that's important to you. High-class individuals have people for two things: one, to reduce friction, and two, to provide access. Because of the status they've achieved, they're presented with opportunities outside of the general interest. They're offered liquidity if they require it, and at the highest levels, they even get preferential terms just so they can attach their name to the deal. That's the power of high class.

Now, we're sure in your life you've encountered high-class individuals, so we're curious: what would you add to the list? Let us know in the comments. And as for those of you still watching, here's your secret bonus: Snobs versus high class. This is the main difference, okay? Anyone who acts like they're better than you is a snob. Someone who might be further along than you but treats you as an equal is high class. Learn to differentiate. A snob cannot acquire a status unless they put someone else down. Snobbish royalty invented intricate ways to eat food just so they could laugh at the poor for not knowing their rules, even in contexts where the method was not superior. High-class individuals are at ease with who they are, and they're comfortable with you being yourself. High-class individuals act as mentors, sharing their knowledge with the world. Snobs gatekeep information as a form of social differentiation. They make it known that they know and are unwilling to tell you.

If yesterday's video gave you an insight into what not to be like, this one gives you a roadmap for what to strive for tomorrow. We're looking at the people who are pretending to be upper class, so you can call them out on it. If you've made it this far in the video, congratulations, my friend, you've got some claps! Let's see how many of you there are; write the word "class" in the comments, that way we can tell who's real and who's just a visitor. Stay high class, Alux. We'll see you tomorrow.

Thanks for spending some time with us today, Alux. We're so glad you did. If you found value in today's video, please give us a like, hit that bell icon to never miss an upload, and hey, don't forget to subscribe!