Class is about more than how we present ourselves to the world; it’s something we embody. Classy people set an example of how to behave honorably and respectfully; by contrast, we’re highly critical of classless people. Here are 20 traits that someone with zero class usually displays.
Bad Table Manners
Table manners are a basic form of etiquette, but many people regularly display a total lack of them. If someone chews with their mouth open, burps, texts throughout dinner, or picks their teeth, they have zero regard for the other people at the table and don’t mind exhibiting a lack of class.
Disrespecting Others
You can tell a lot about a person based on how they treat others. Disrespectful behavior, such as mocking people to their faces or behind their backs, not fulfilling commitments, and violating boundaries, is unacceptable. Showing respect for others demonstrates class and a mature sense of personal accountability.
Talking Over People
Conversational narcissism is often dismissed as confidence, but it’s actually a sign that someone lacks self-awareness. CNBC describes a conversational narcissist as someone who talks over others, doesn’t ask questions, and monopolizes attention. A person who deliberately does these things is classless because they show zero consideration for others.
Being Arrogant
Classy people are often defined by their humility and willingness to listen to and learn from others. By contrast, arrogant people have zero class and deliberately brag to make themselves look good. They’ll also mistreat others to elevate themselves, ironically putting themselves further down the social ladder.
Looking Down On Others
Not only is it cruel to look down on others, but it’s classless. If someone needs to put people down to feel good about themselves, they have zero class. People who behave like this push others away and show themselves to have a massive inferiority complex.
Cursing Excessively
We all occasionally curse, but someone who curses all the time, no matter where they are, has zero class. Being classy means knowing when to curb bad language, such as in polite conversation or in front of children. People who constantly curse lack that self-restraint; it’s just plain rude.
Lack of Gratitude
They say that manners cost nothing because it’s true, so if someone can’t say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, they’re entirely classless. Observing how someone treats those they consider beneath them, like servers and cashiers, is a great way to measure their character and whether or not they lack gratitude.
Lack of Decorum
Having decorum means having class. Simplicable cites discipline, civility, politeness, and good taste as examples of decorum, and those are all traits that someone with class displays. On the other hand, a lack of decorum shows someone has no regard for general etiquette, nobility, or polite behavior.
Being Rude
Almost every classless behavior is fueled by rudeness, so you can quickly work out what kind of person someone is. If they cut in line, interrupt others, put their phone on speaker, or snap their fingers at people, they’re rude. Class might bring sophistication to mind, but it also requires common courtesy.
Poor Personal Hygiene
We instantly judge people based on their personal hygiene. While mental health struggles can be to blame for poor hygiene, it’s a different story when someone deliberately has no regard for cleanliness. If they can’t be bothered to shower, use deodorant, and brush their teeth, they have no class.
Pretentiousness
Pretentious people are hard to connect with because they’re often dismissive and project an air of superiority. A person with real class doesn’t need to act pretentiously; they naturally radiate sophistication. By comparison, someone who uses fancy words or acts like they know everything is inauthentic.
Never Cleaning Up After Themselves
Everyone’s home gets messy, but it’s a sign of class to clean up after yourself in public. For example, people who go to dinner and leave mess everywhere demonstrates zero consideration for the servers who clean it up. This thoughtlessness shows a complete lack of class.
Showing Aggression
People who make threats, shout, and bully can be terrifying to be around. Verywell Mind observes that aggressive people behave that way to assert dominance, achieve a goal, or intimidate others. Whatever the reason, it’s classless; if someone needs to resort to scaring people to gain their respect, they don’t deserve it.
Flaunting Wealth
People who flaunt their wealth do it to make themselves feel important, and others feel jealous. There’s nothing classy about bragging about a large paycheck or posting photos of expensive belongings online; it only shows a psychological need for validation. People who do it are often insecure.
Gossip Mongering
It’s incredibly unkind to gossip about people behind their backs. Those who do it think it’s harmless and fun, but sharing other people’s personal details to mock them is mean-spirited and shows a lack of respect. Recently, people have started to look down on gossipmongers for their lack of class.
Littering
Littering is a massive environmental problem, so it’s a sign of extreme laziness if someone can’t be bothered to throw their trash away responsibly. It’s also selfish because somebody else will clean up the litter, and someone with class would think about this instead of acting so inconsiderately.
Laziness
We all have our lazy moments, but people who are constantly idle don’t care about how they come across. That’s the complete opposite of classiness because classy people want to come across well without being inauthentic. Lazy people are authentic, too, but being notorious for inactivity isn’t a good look.
Lack of Accountability
It’s a sign of bad character when someone refuses to take accountability for their actions. Psychology Today remarks that these people ‘defend, divert, deny, and disengage’ to resist owning up to their mistakes. Being classy means observing your own behavior and actively correcting it, not masking it.
Compulsive Dishonesty
People who compulsively lie often do it to impress others, but it always backfires when they’re found out. In addition to proving they can’t be trusted, someone who is constantly dishonest shows a serious lack of class. They wouldn’t need to hoodwink others to gain their approval if they had class.
Lack of Shame
Finally, classless people are almost always shameless. They openly display bad traits and behavior despite knowing it might damage people’s opinions of them. They also don’t care how their actions impact other people. Someone who has zero shame usually has zero class, too, and feels comfortable broadcasting it. They need to do better!
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