Class is often portrayed as something that’s all about attire, accent, or financial status.

But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

You could have all the money in the world and still act incredibly unclassy, from having bad manners to displaying rude behavior or having a public meltdown every three days.

So, how can you distinguish a person who just appears classy from someone who genuinely is?

Well, people who look classy but actually aren’t often display these 6 subtle behaviors.

1) They have no control over their feelings

You could wear only designer clothes and own the most expensive perfume in the world, but if you start screaming your head off when you get stuck in traffic, your behavior isn’t in line with what it means to be classy.

I said what I said.

Excellent emotional self-regulation, a vital aspect of emotional intelligence, is one of the classiest traits anyone could ever have because it allows us to stay in charge of our feelings in emotionally charged situations and therefore maintain our composure.

If someone’s shouting at you, you don’t let them bring you down to their level.

Instead, you talk to them in a calm manner.

If you have to wait in a long queue, you practice patience instead of giving in to your frustration.

Someone who appears classy but doesn’t actually fit the bill is an emotional hurricane – they let their feelings guide their behavior and they tend to act everything out immediately and without hesitation.

This means they may often get into arguments, cause a scene in public, or just be very frustrating to be around.

2) They act like they’re better than everyone

People tend to associate classiness with arrogance – a classy person must *surely* think they’re better than everyone else. I mean, look at them!

This is also why people who pretend to be classy often treat customer service workers with contempt, take everything others do for them for granted, and generally act like they’re on a high horse.

But true classiness is about the complete opposite: respect, humility, and self-awareness.

Yeah, I know. It sounds like a strange notion. How the hell can humility be classy?

Well, humility in and of itself isn’t sophisticated per se. But when you pair it up with confidence and self-love…

That’s when miracles start to happen.

A confident yet humble person knows when to say they don’t know something, ask for help, and admit they made a mistake.

At the same time, though, they can establish firm boundaries, know themselves incredibly well, and go after their goals with relentless drive.

It’s the best of both worlds.

3) They tie their self-worth to status symbols

If you were to look at a man in a suit standing next to a man in work overalls, you might immediately think the one who looks like a gentleman is classier.

But what if you got talking to them and soon realized that while the suit guy only ever brags and fishes for compliments, the worker is an extremely honorable man who’s got his sh*t together?

You’d probably reconsider.

Status symbols may help a person appear a certain way, but do not let an expensive car or designer clothes fool you.

They are an illusion; the real character of the person in question is underneath all that pretense.

The best-dressed woman in the world can have very bad manners and an insufferable personality; the most haggard man you can imagine can radiate an aura of inner peace, confidence, and therefore class.

It’s not about the material possessions you shroud yourself in.

It’s about who you are when all status symbols are stripped away.

4) They’re only empathetic when it’s convenient for them

Know some of those wealthy people who give their money to charity just to look good and to get tax relief?

Yeah. That’s not class. It’s better than nothing, but it doesn’t really fall into the sophistication category.

Empathy is classy. Acceptance and open-mindedness are classy.

The willingness to learn from others and to try to understand their life experiences is… yep, classy.

And the classiest of all is, of course, kindness.

A person of true sophistication doesn’t empathize with people only when it’s convenient or when it makes them look good in front of others.

They always strive to do the right thing even when no one’s looking because they have a moral code they want to adhere to.

Because they care about making the world a better place.

And because they inherently understand that the world is so much bigger than their own head and that everyone deserves respect and empathy, not just a chosen few.

5) They love to complain and gossip

Look, we all love to vent or spill the tea sometimes. I’m no angel, and neither are you.

Just because you enjoy the occasional drama or want to rant about your annoying boss once a week doesn’t mean you’re automatically disqualified from the sophistication club.

But there’s a world of difference between someone who complains and gossips occasionally and someone whose nickname could be Walking Negativity.

Words have power. What you choose to discuss with your friends and family matters a great deal because it ultimately reveals you for who you are deep down.

If you’re always talking about what Jake or Karen did at the most recent party, why Jessica is such a bad person, and why life is so unfair, there’s a high chance people will quickly grow tired of chatting with you.

Not to mention this kind of behavior is, of course, not classy at all. 

No matter how expensive your jewelry is, talking sh*t behind people’s back will always make you appear unsophisticated.

6) They aren’t emotionally mature

All of the above-mentioned behaviors boil down to one thing: people who look classy but actually aren’t tend to be emotionally immature.

They may have a very well-paid job, drive an expensive car, or live a luxurious lifestyle, but the truth of the matter is that they don’t know how to conduct themselves with grace, healthy confidence, and self-awareness.

Their behavior simply doesn’t match the vibe they want to give off, and sooner or later, their actions and words will give them away.

Remember: class isn’t really about how you look. It’s got everything to do with how you treat other people.

It’s about your behavior.