Indeed, a gross misconception that has been flippantly thrown around by the rich is the truism that networking events are purely ascribed to luck. However, such a truism is nothing but an insidious web of falsehoods simply because the reality is vastly different. Rich people are able to enter these networking events due to a multitude of reasons: their experiences in their formative years attending their parents’ networking events and signing up for social etiquette classes out of their own volition. Throughout their lives, growing up in a social circle that epitomises prestige and sophistication, it would be pervasive for these people to attend a myriad of events which demand them to behave in a poise and elegant manner. For instance, they would be very well acquainted with opulent and illustrious social events such as ‘Gala Bash’ hosted by their parents’ companies, all of which rub shoulders with people belonging to the upper strata of society. Such events require them to possess knowledge of using the correct utensil at a dinner function or learning how to use a knife in a proper manner while cutting food. Additionally, these events also expect them to be skillful in manoeuvring conversations with the corps d’elite in society, such as possessing great knowledge in the latest sports car or even intricately describing their favourite place to visit during the summer break. Thus, these situations grant these people the opportunity to practise and refine their demeanour, granting them entry to subsequent prestigious social events.

Even if these people are unable to attend such social events on a regular basis, they would still fervently sign up for social etiquette classes. Such classes encompass invaluable skills such as learning how to walk in an upright fashion, using the correct utensils at various meal functions and training eloquence in one’s speech. For example, in these classes, one would acquire the knowledge of styling oneself in an appropriate manner, such as learning how to match clothes in a fashionable way or being cognisant of the various dress codes for social events. Additionally, these classes cover the importance of presenting oneself in an approving light, such as having good posture and speaking in a refined way. These social etiquette classes are often touted as rigorous and intense simply because they recognise that there is an inordinate emphasis on decorum in the upper strata of society due to the importance of giving off the impression of being refined and delicate to others. With such social decorum classes reinforcing constant and conscious reminders to these people about how they should act and conduct themselves in social situations, it causes them to inevitably and intuitively pick up subtle cues and unspoken rules along the way. Thus, these people are able to seamlessly blend in with the rest straddled in the upper echelons of society, without facing many barriers to entry to these social events.

Another platitude espoused by the rich that should be challenged is the assertion that one must possess sheer dumb luck to encounter people from the upper class. When asked to reflect on their journey to success, the rich often would defensively assert that it is pure luck that they happened to know someone in their social circle. This paints the illusion that luck is the sole explanation in determining one’s ability to forge connections with others in the upper strata. However, this statement is simply untrue because in reality, it is a contrived effort from the rich to be highly selective of their connections in their social circles, causing them to congregate very tightly. As the axiom suggests, birds of a feather flock together. Evidently, the rich hail from circles that are notorious for its high barriers to entry and valorising their exclusivity because society has conferred the notions of prestige and allure onto them. Take for instance in the movie Crazy Rich Asians, which illustrates Nick Young and his family’s tight coterie, embracing those who were deemed as equals and dismissing those who did not belong to their social circle. This resulted in Nick’s girlfriend, Rachel, who hailed from humble beginnings, to constantly be on the receiving end of denigrative comments while welcoming Nick’s previous love interest, whose family was well established in the real estate industry, with open arms.

This is because the rich have an astute vision in establishing whether a person belongs to the upper strata of society, looking at various characteristics such as personal wealth and family background before deciding whether to accept them into the social circle. This suggests that the rich only mingle with those who are from the same social strata due to the fact that the rich want to preserve the prestige and restrict the permeability of these circles. Hence, the rich who wish to join these social circles would be accepted without the bat of an eyelid simply because they embody the characteristics of a rich person, blending in with the rest of the people in the upper strata of society. The confluence of factors only serve to prove that the rich would only forge connections with those of the same social standing as them. This causes the rich to be enclosed in a bubble, conversing with others who are similar to them, resulting in an extensive web of connections with other rich people. Therefore, it would be no surprise that the rich are able to deliver a remark with a laissez faire attitude that they ‘happen to know an investor or the CEO of a company’ just by merely tapping onto their networks.

All in all, it is imperative for us to recognise that the statements propagated by the rich are nothing but monolithic and harmful beliefs. Indeed, it is important for us to acknowledge and confront the harsh truth that sheer dumb luck does not propel any of us to success but instead, it is a combination of presenting oneself in a favourable manner and forging an extensive web of networks that would increase one’s likelihood of attaining success. So next time when you hear a rich person exalting his success to just mere luck, call him out.