If people who feel deprived are frequently reminded of their relative deprivation, they will tend to dislike it. If your friends all talk about their vacations in Bali and $300 dinners, most people will find themselves feeling at least a little inadequate no matter how wonderful, kind, loving, and compassionate those friends are.

The same thing will happen even via more subtle means as people give moderate-cost gifts or wearing clothing that is visibly more expensive.

You're 100% correct. People like to be around friends. It's perhaps worth considering that there might possibly be more to it than just that.

Well, you’ve exposed yourself as having never been poor for any real length of time. So you’re wrong, but things could be a lot worse.