Understating your class background is a way to get around a couple of different problems: if you are successful in life, your successes are magnified because th

Understating your class background is a way to get around a couple of different problems: if you are successful in life, your successes are magnified because they are self-made, or even made despite the odds being against you. On the other hand, if you are not as successful as you'd like, a rougher background offers a handy justification for that. The underlying message is "my successes are more impressive, my failures aren't really my fault".