Interesting Psychology Team
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:
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.
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.
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.
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 partner’s 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.
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.
