Beauty is skin deep

The majority of millionaires in the United States do not live in affluent neighborhoods, own massive mansions, or drive expensive cars.

Those were the first people the authors of “The Millionaire Next Door” looked at when they were trying to study wealth in America. What they found was the people who were worth in excess of one million dollars looked like the middle class, and the people who looked like millionaires often times were worth little more than the middle class.

Millionaires look like everyone else, and the rich aren’t so rich? What does this mean?

1) At first, perception is reality. All of us would think you’d find America’s millionaires in the best neighborhoods, the ones with big houses and a pair of to-die-for cars sitting in the driveway. Who else could afford such a lifestyle? The same goes for everything else. People buy perception because it’s fast, easy, and allows us to categorize things.

2) Perception is reality until someone looks behind the curtain and tells you about it. If you had never read “The Millionaire Next Door” or heard its premise you might still think everyone driving around in Cadillacs are the richest people in the country. This also means if you ARE the expert and no one thinks you are, you need people to find out.

3) Perception means more than reality. Ever wonder why people would rather work with someone they can relate to instead of someone they can’t? It’s easier to work with someone you think is like you, because you put them in the “similar to me = good” category in your noggin.

4) Perception is lying to you. Odds are you don’t know what’s in front of you.

5) We categorize everything as fast as we can. A lot of things end up somewhere other than the place they’d go if you asked a few questions about what you’re seeing and feeling. Why are millionaires not found in those gorgeous houses on the outskirts of town? Their lifestyle involves spending far less than they make, and buying one of those houses would not fit into their plans. A-ha! One good question gives us better insight.

6) Most of the time, we’re too lazy to get past the initial perception. We’ll see it, maybe experience it, categorize it, and move on. While there’s not enough time to learn more about everything, make sure you take the time to do so when it matters to you.

My last thought on this: people love to talk about finding someone’s inner beauty. If you wore your inner beauty on your sleeve no one would have to wonder what’s inside.