how "cool" you are really depends on how confident you are. nobody actually cares about what brands you wear, what items you have etc. but the energy you give off gives them a reason to care
its people noticing that youre a little more fidgety when certains topics come up. bit antsier when you get asked about some of the things you can't afford yet. embellishing details of your lifestyle
"what car do you drive?" nervous laugh. "corolla... ahah but it's reliable, ill probably upgrade later down the line-" could've just answered normally, but that second part suddenly showed that you're weird about it
people feel something "off" about you. then, you overcompensate even more to try and get them to not feel that way. endless cycle of self-sabotage driven by insecurity
how you feel about yourself is how others feel about you. you were always the man by default. everyone thought you were chill until you felt the need to manufacture a perception
people either like you because they see a part of themselves in you, see a part of you that is lacking within them, or you have something they can use