Dani Payne is an accomplished educator and political strategist. Most recently, she enchanted the world via a viral TikTok video exclusively exposing the telltale signs of rich people. The video has gone massively viral. It is informative in unpacking behaviors, experiences and dialogue that indicate someone’s social status. Payne’s insights are based on a theory of social cognition that looks at social cues as indicators of wealth and class status.
As Payne points out in her short video on the topic, wealth is most easily told by behavior. She says that the way an individual presents themselves can provide a lot of information about their financial situation. In the UK, accent is an important factor in shaping these perceptions.
“And that’s not just accent, although accent is a really big thing in the UK,” – Payne
Payne explains how a focused experience can indicate the class of an individual. Memberships in elite groups, participation in cultural activities like opera or art showings, and even frequenting ski holidays can suggest a middle or upper-class background.
“Aside from old boys clubs, it’s also about going to the opera…art showings. Do you go on ski holidays? Things like that,” – Payne
The video further explores how education and culture can act as markers of affluence. Payne points out that the tenor of civil discourse typically avoids an honest dialogue about why money matters. Instead, it prioritizes issues that conform to the convenient class-shaped narratives.
“But it’s also what are you talking about, what’s polite conversation. Do you know it’s extremely impolite to ask about money and wealth, etc.” – Payne
Payne asks penetrating questions about the inequities in information taught to children of different socioeconomic classes.
“What do upper and middle-class kids know that we don’t teach working-class kids?” – Payne
Here’s our TikTok video you can check out.
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