Don’t expect everyone to like you. Don’t expect the majority to.
When you meet people who judge you for the right things, stick with them.
As someone who is in the same situation as you, my (24f) advice is to just be really kind and genuine to everyone and you’ll attract the right kind of people. I’m a little older than you (24f) and I’ve had ‘friends’ use me, and I’ve always had guys not be interested in me because “we just come from different backgrounds.” I most recently had my roommate try to get me to pay $1,000 a month more in rent because she “figured I’d be able to.” It’s really annoying to be honest because it seems like people are just making judgements based upon where you come from without getting to know you as a person. Sometimes I feel spoiled when I talk about what I consider struggles with my friends, but if you’re a kind and genuine person and have real friends that aren’t using you, they’ll understand your perspective not judge you. I also think the greatest thing your parents have done for you is make you responsible for your clothing, phone, and outside activities as that is what really helped me feel less attached to my parents money and success so I could figure things out on my own and make my own happiness. I also just in general make a point to not get on the topic of financials or anything like that around people that I don’t really know well because it tends to make me anxious. Just keep doing what you’re doing, and as you grow into even more of an adult you’ll learn how to navigate it better!
People are going to judge you for who you are no matter what that is. There is absolutely nothing you can do about this. If you had poor parents, I guarantee you’d be judged for being poor instead. It’s not about you at all, its about judgy people being judgy.
Own it. You do have rich parents. There’s no need to hide that or be ashamed of it, and no need to brag about it either. It’s just your life. It made you stronger in some areas and weaker in others, the same way every person’s backstory does.
When someone makes comments like your friend did, it just shows they don’t understand that “rich people” are not all the same. You can try to be the bigger person by making a joke of it, or by explaining that it’s not like that, but you have no obligation to. Dismissive and judgemental comments like that are signs that this friend isn’t seeing you as a person, but as a stereotype. That’s never something you want in a friend. If you really like them, I’d say try explaining how it made you feel and how you’re more than just your parents’ money. If that doesn’t work, you’re probably better off focusing on friends who DO see you as an individual.
All you can do is be yourself, the best version of yourself you can be, and if all they can see are dollar signs then you probably need to find someone else to be friends with.
You really can’t control what people think. Just be yourself and they’ll figure it out in time as they get to know you.
if they are ready to judge somebody based on looks and where they come from they are probably not worth your time to begin with. it’s actually a self-solved problem