Ever notice how people treat you differently once they think you're doing well? There's a brutal honesty in that observation: most folks are genuinely nice to you—right up until they believe you're ahead of them.

It's not always malice. Sometimes it's envy, sometimes it's just human nature. But the dynamic shifts. Friends ask more questions. Acquaintances suddenly want favors. Strangers develop opinions about your choices.

This is why plenty of successful people keep quiet about their gains. Not from shame, but from practicality. Less noise means fewer complications. No target on your back, no sudden relatives reaching out, no exhausting conversations about why you "should" help with someone else's problems.

There's freedom in invisibility. Your wealth becomes your own business, not public property for commentary and judgment. The best part? People remain genuinely wonderful when they're not measuring themselves against you.

It's not cynicism—it's just understanding human psychology.