If you’re poor and rude, you’re just an asshole. But if you’re rich and rude, well, then you’re “eccentric.”

Only if you have social respectability from another source than your wealth. If you're rich and rude, you're just a "typical rich asshole".

Don't believe me? See how most people treat or think about rich children, who have no accomplishments beyond being born wealthy.

That's not riches; that's status. They often go hand-in-hand, but it's important to not confuse the two, as the article mentions.

You can pay people to coach you and to practice with in a low-stress environment.

Interestingly, in this same way, money can also buy happiness, through happiness coaching. :)

> Interestingly, in this same way, money can also buy happiness, through happiness coaching. :)

Kind of like this? http://mimiandeunice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/ME_353_D...

Ironically, that’s weirdly close to how it turns out. My current model is that humans are really driven by avoidance of various types of mental anguish (“suffering”), but can use pleasure and “happy things” to distract from suffering instead of removing the suffering. So after a while the pleasure or happiness seems like the goal.

But, if you decide to stop suffering and are able to achieve that, pleasure and “happiness” actually don’t serve much of a purpose anymore, but you still feel really good; it’s more of a “well-being” sensation.

I've been interested in finding some kind of approach to practice my social skills in a safe environment, what services offer something like that?

Already mentioned, but Meetup and its kin (Eventbrite, Facebook events) are good gateways into meetups that you’d have enough interest in that the possibility of connecting with someone you’d get along with is high.

Meetup.com. Seriously. A public meetup is probably used to getting the occasional random awkward person, and may have introductions built into its format. I've had good luck with smallish ones, anyway.

Maybe you don't need social skills when you are rich enough.