You've surely come across someone like this. Someone who comes off as superficial or inauthentic. Of course, nobody wants to identify as shallow. Yet, many of us tend to make shallow assumptions about others, at least once in a while. Instead of thinking things through, we jump to conclusions.
10 Signs You're Dealing With A Shallow Person
You've surely come across someone like this. Someone who comes off as superficial or inauthentic. Of course, nobody wants to identify as shallow. Yet, many of us tend to make shallow assumptions about others, at least once in a while. Instead of thinking things through, we jump to conclusions. And, we tend to respond to other people's superficial assumptions about us with slurs, sarcasm, or anger. That's why being self-aware is crucial. Consider the following traits as a checklist to determine whether you or someone you associate with is superficial. Here are ten signs of a shallow person:
Number 1 - They Are Overly Concerned About Physical Appearance There's a fine line between taking care of yourself and being obsessed with your appearance. People who are superficial are often overly concerned about how others perceive them. They spend excessive amounts of time, energy, and money to make themselves look good to other people. Putting that effort into personal growth would be better for them and everyone in their life, but they're not concerned about that. And when they seek connections with others, it's almost always based on appearance. They usually don't look any deeper. Shallow people are generally disinterested in others' emotions, thoughts, and behaviors because they don't really care about getting to know people.
Number 2 - They Are Materialistic Shallow people are typically very materialistic. And this ties back to their obsession with appearance. Often, material objects function as symbols of wealth or power. So they buy expensive things, hoping that others will see them as more valuable and appreciate them more. That's because they, themselves, give more respect and admiration to attractive and wealthy people. Superficial people prioritize material things like big homes, fancy cars, or expensive items over experiences and relationships, so their lives tend to lack depth. People like this feel entitled to happiness. They pursue things that bring them immediate joy, even if they know that it won't last.
Number 3 - They Lack Opinions Shallow people also tend to lack opinions, at least honest ones. They rarely have a solid value system, so others easily influence them. It's not hard to convince someone to believe something when their belief system is a blank slate. When the opportunity best suits a change of opinion, superficial people will switch sides without thinking twice.
Number 4 - Their Relationships Are One-Sided If you've ever been in a relationship with a shallow person, you know that their priority is not their partner or the relationship, it's themselves. That's why people like this struggle to maintain balanced relationships. Instead of practicing reciprocity, they engage in one-sided relationships. These individuals like to center their relationships around themselves and push aside their partners' needs. To them, people are like objects. They pick and choose the pretty ones that have the most value to them, and they won't hesitate to toss them aside if someone better comes along.
Number 5 - They Lack Intellectual Depth Although shallow people can be knowledgeable and well-informed, they often lack intellectual depth. That's not to say they're not smart. They can be. But, they rarely apply their knowledge in a practical way. And they often lack emotional intelligence which involves awareness and concern for the emotions of others. The result is a life that lacks meaningful relationships, experiences, and thoughts. So, it’s probably not surprising that superficial people tend to lack particular social skills such as manners, gratitude, and grace. Their conversations rarely go past the surface since profound things about the world or themselves are out of their reach.
Number 6 - They Don’t Say What They Mean One way to identify a superficial person is through their shallow remarks. These people can't give genuine compliments. Instead, their words might feel more like an insult, sarcasm, or just inauthentic. Even if you think the compliment sounded nice, there's sure to be a crushing remark following not far behind.
Number 7 - They Won't Do Anything Unless It Benefits Them For the most part, people engage in group activities like social causes for the good of the community as a whole. People are motivated to contribute by the thought of helping others. However, superficial people only care about things that benefit them. They're not interested in helping others unless there's something in it for them.
For example, they might volunteer at a charity event. But they only do this because there will be celebrities there who they'd like to meet. Shallow people don't know what altruism is. And if they do, they don't understand it. To them, life is all about getting what they want, even at the expense of others.
Number 8 - They Are Judgmental We all make judgments about other people, it's in our nature.
But superficial people are highly critical and judgemental of others, usually regarding appearance or disagreement. When someone doesn't agree with them or challenges them, they respond with complete disregard for the other person's feelings and beliefs. Shallow people tend to make incorrect assumptions about others.
If they think someone doesn't understand their perspective, they'll immediately become distraught and decide that they don't like that person. People like this are also seasoned professionals when it comes to projection. Instead of admitting their jealousy, fear, or insecurity, they accuse others of feeling that way, whether it's to their face or through a nasty rumor.
Number 9 - They Frequently Engage In Gossip Shallow people like to gossip, and their words are usually razor-sharp. They'll spew negativity about others even if it's not true. And while they might pretend to feel concerned for their victim, they gossip to make themselves feel superior and to boost their self-esteem. People like this don't consider how their words affect others, whether that's who they're talking to or who they're talking about. Even if they do realize the impact of their words, they simply don't care.
Number 10 - They Like To Be In The Limelight While we all like admiration and positive reinforcement, superficial people have an intense need to be admired. They are dependent on the attention of others since they gain their sense of worth through acknowledgment. That's why shallow people love the limelight. If they're not being seen, talked about, or appreciated by others, they feel neglected and unimportant. And if someone else steals the stage even for a minute, they do anything they can to get the attention back on them.
As you might expect, superficial people don't dip below the surface. Forming meaningful connections with them can be difficult or even impossible. And while having shallow people in your life can be a pain, they aren't necessarily bad people.
Their lack of depth or substance isn't all that they are; like anyone else, they too can improve themselves through personal growth if they choose to. What do you think? After watching this video, did you discover that you may be dealing with some shallow people in your life? Or perhaps you have some of these traits? Share your thoughts and comments below.
You've surely come across someone like this. Someone who comes off as superficial or inauthentic. Of course, nobody wants to identify as shallow. Yet, many of us tend to make shallow assumptions about others, at least once in a while. Instead of thinking things through, we jump to conclusions. And, we tend to respond to other people's superficial assumptions about us with slurs, sarcasm, or anger. That's why being self-aware is crucial. Consider the following traits as a checklist to determine whether you or someone you associate with is superficial. Here are ten signs of a shallow person:
Number 1 - They Are Overly Concerned About Physical Appearance There's a fine line between taking care of yourself and being obsessed with your appearance. People who are superficial are often overly concerned about how others perceive them. They spend excessive amounts of time, energy, and money to make themselves look good to other people. Putting that effort into personal growth would be better for them and everyone in their life, but they're not concerned about that. And when they seek connections with others, it's almost always based on appearance. They usually don't look any deeper. Shallow people are generally disinterested in others' emotions, thoughts, and behaviors because they don't really care about getting to know people.
Number 2 - They Are Materialistic Shallow people are typically very materialistic. And this ties back to their obsession with appearance. Often, material objects function as symbols of wealth or power. So they buy expensive things, hoping that others will see them as more valuable and appreciate them more. That's because they, themselves, give more respect and admiration to attractive and wealthy people. Superficial people prioritize material things like big homes, fancy cars, or expensive items over experiences and relationships, so their lives tend to lack depth. People like this feel entitled to happiness. They pursue things that bring them immediate joy, even if they know that it won't last.
Number 3 - They Lack Opinions Shallow people also tend to lack opinions, at least honest ones. They rarely have a solid value system, so others easily influence them. It's not hard to convince someone to believe something when their belief system is a blank slate. When the opportunity best suits a change of opinion, superficial people will switch sides without thinking twice.
Number 4 - Their Relationships Are One-Sided If you've ever been in a relationship with a shallow person, you know that their priority is not their partner or the relationship, it's themselves. That's why people like this struggle to maintain balanced relationships. Instead of practicing reciprocity, they engage in one-sided relationships. These individuals like to center their relationships around themselves and push aside their partners' needs. To them, people are like objects. They pick and choose the pretty ones that have the most value to them, and they won't hesitate to toss them aside if someone better comes along.
Number 5 - They Lack Intellectual Depth Although shallow people can be knowledgeable and well-informed, they often lack intellectual depth. That's not to say they're not smart. They can be. But, they rarely apply their knowledge in a practical way. And they often lack emotional intelligence which involves awareness and concern for the emotions of others. The result is a life that lacks meaningful relationships, experiences, and thoughts. So, it’s probably not surprising that superficial people tend to lack particular social skills such as manners, gratitude, and grace. Their conversations rarely go past the surface since profound things about the world or themselves are out of their reach.
Number 6 - They Don’t Say What They Mean One way to identify a superficial person is through their shallow remarks. These people can't give genuine compliments. Instead, their words might feel more like an insult, sarcasm, or just inauthentic. Even if you think the compliment sounded nice, there's sure to be a crushing remark following not far behind.
Number 7 - They Won't Do Anything Unless It Benefits Them For the most part, people engage in group activities like social causes for the good of the community as a whole. People are motivated to contribute by the thought of helping others. However, superficial people only care about things that benefit them. They're not interested in helping others unless there's something in it for them.
For example, they might volunteer at a charity event. But they only do this because there will be celebrities there who they'd like to meet. Shallow people don't know what altruism is. And if they do, they don't understand it. To them, life is all about getting what they want, even at the expense of others.
Number 8 - They Are Judgmental We all make judgments about other people, it's in our nature.
But superficial people are highly critical and judgemental of others, usually regarding appearance or disagreement. When someone doesn't agree with them or challenges them, they respond with complete disregard for the other person's feelings and beliefs. Shallow people tend to make incorrect assumptions about others.
If they think someone doesn't understand their perspective, they'll immediately become distraught and decide that they don't like that person. People like this are also seasoned professionals when it comes to projection. Instead of admitting their jealousy, fear, or insecurity, they accuse others of feeling that way, whether it's to their face or through a nasty rumor.
Number 9 - They Frequently Engage In Gossip Shallow people like to gossip, and their words are usually razor-sharp. They'll spew negativity about others even if it's not true. And while they might pretend to feel concerned for their victim, they gossip to make themselves feel superior and to boost their self-esteem. People like this don't consider how their words affect others, whether that's who they're talking to or who they're talking about. Even if they do realize the impact of their words, they simply don't care.
Number 10 - They Like To Be In The Limelight While we all like admiration and positive reinforcement, superficial people have an intense need to be admired. They are dependent on the attention of others since they gain their sense of worth through acknowledgment. That's why shallow people love the limelight. If they're not being seen, talked about, or appreciated by others, they feel neglected and unimportant. And if someone else steals the stage even for a minute, they do anything they can to get the attention back on them.
As you might expect, superficial people don't dip below the surface. Forming meaningful connections with them can be difficult or even impossible. And while having shallow people in your life can be a pain, they aren't necessarily bad people.
Their lack of depth or substance isn't all that they are; like anyone else, they too can improve themselves through personal growth if they choose to. What do you think? After watching this video, did you discover that you may be dealing with some shallow people in your life? Or perhaps you have some of these traits? Share your thoughts and comments below.
