I was frequently picked on for using words they (other students, many better off than me) knew the meaning of but would rather play dumb and try to make me feel bad.

I tried to empathize, but since I didn't value going along to get along, I didn't play along, and I didn't earn a lot of loyal friends that way.

It's not about class so much as values, and it wasn't my parent's values so much as it was my identity and valuing intelligence (although no adults I ever met devalued intelligence).