Superficially Yours

“Love everyone but hang with those who inspire you” -Russell Simmons (@unclerush)

The art of social climbing is a science on its own.

It may sound laughable and may even be ridiculed but social climbers are amongst the smartest people I have even encountered. They are cunning, calculating and strategically witty; they never do anything just for the sake of doing it (like any business persona). They never make friends just for the sake of having friends. A social climber will tell you the same thing any wealthy business man will tell you, “Your net worth is determined by your network”.

The first question a socialite may think when they meet you is, “who do you know that I need to know?”

I personally have a lot of respect for “social climbers” because they had to do a lot more work than everyone else; like to kiss a lot of butts they didn’t like but needed to either get that business going or party in the right circle. They made friends with all the people they don’t sincerely like, they lost touch with their real friends, they became everyone’s acquaintance, they were at some point in time some one’s “Chihuahua’, they have said some things they are not proud of (who hasn’t?), they have had lots of cosmos and mojitos, they have gone bankrupt keeping up with the Joneses but most of all they have acquired what they set out to do.  

Call them what you may but they are GO-GETTER’S Diva’s and Divettes.

Socialites are living the life your dreams are made of.

They figured out a long time to ago that in order for them to earn an ounce of respect or be taken serious in their craft they needed to “connect with people of similar interests”.  They are the people you love to hate but secretly you wish you had that much will power to stay in where you know you wouldn’t be had you not worked hard to belong.

So did they ditch doing it the old fashion way? No, they worked hard alright, they worked harder at knowing all the “right” people (remember how we define right people is personal and differs from person to person) and getting a nod of approval. They just knew to be nice to everyone but show love to those who have the power, money and influence to get them to where they need to go (remember influence is leadership).

Who wouldn’t want that? Who doesn’t want his or her name to be mentioned next to a “who’s who” of a city? Who doesn’t crave to be on the A-List? Truth is someone gets on the A-List by virtue of birth or lineage and the rest either through sincere service or through association (ever heard of guilty by association?). and everyone else who says they couldn’t care less…well casually invite them to a party filled to the brim with shot callers and people of influence in their field of trade and watch what their response is going to be. #PRICELESS

I can’t knock their hustle. And neither should you. This is the world we live in today.

We all need to do what we need to do to get what we think we need.

Your talent is as good as nothing if you don’t get it in with the right crowd (connecting to people of similar interests'. An alternative word would be 'network’), if you are not seen at all the right places to eat and mingle with the mighty muscled-well just pack your bags and go to Pluto. If your bank balance isn’t as strong you just have to kiss more butts, and if you have the money; the world is your oyster. You will have a multitude of friends and everyone will be ready to dish you a little sum sum.

Most just use other people to get what we want out of them, a lot of pretence is needed to get you in the door and Lord knows what else you may need to do to keep you in. In some societies you last name, your money, who you know and at times the color of your skin determines how far you go in the door. If a person sees no “need” to be polite to you then you won’t even get the time of day them because you are a nobody to them ( remember that others have a lot to lose by letting strange people into their lives and being overly nice-you need to earn their trust). Just another biscuit trying to get through the door and who knows; you may end up replacing them on the popular person’s list.

It’s nothing personal; it’s just social-business as it is.

The other side of the coin is there are people who sincerely just want to be friends.

Some people who have worked and provided services and stayed loyal to the worse of the worst. Perhaps even someone from the other side of the tracks who went to a prestigious college and made friends with the Joneses and is liked and loved by that circle. The one who doesn’t have to kiss butt to stay in.

But these come few and far between.

If you really want to become part of the “movers and shakers club” I advise you show up and put in the real work where you need to. You know why? The fashionable set is by its very nature, a pretty superficial bunch, so it doesn’t take a whole lot to impress. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist – just be beautiful and spend money. It’s much more difficult to reach the true “Movers and Shakers” – they are more cerebral, and busy working and traveling, and don’t have much time for nonsense.