-snip-
Do you take inspiration from the rich people or do they make you feel worse?
Why should I feel inferior or fake my situation just because of that? I don't feel inferior or pretend to be different just to get approval from others. If he is rich, that's good for him, I will use that as motivation that one day I will be like him, having many assets and being successful in life. But it never occurred to me that I felt small or inferior just because I compared myself to others. Everyone has their own process, so my focus remains on my efforts to achieve success.
Essentially to gain inspiration there's no need to lie to others, especially yourself, because this will inevitably backfire. Because when you try and fail the first time, you'll only make things worse, leading to despair and giving up. It's better to be realistic about your situation and avoid feeling inferior to others' success, let alone deceiving them by claiming you're richer than them.
This way you won't have the burden of proving yourself to others you only need to prove yourself. If you see someone else rich, or a friend rich, use it as motivation to emulate them in your own way, not by deceiving yourself. Because, as you said, every individual has their own process and path to success.