Many people worldwide are much more interested in the interlocutor’s appearance than the depth and importance of the topics he raises. Because of this difference in values, a misunderstanding arises.
In this case, it is approximately equivalent. You need to understand how you can spend hours discussing all sorts of nonsense, rumors, or scandals related to celebrities.
In exactly the same way, a superficial person cannot have a meaningful conversation. However, there is a significant difference. One wastes time trying to find something worthwhile in the other person. The other fills in the gap; it just kills unnecessary time.
6 Signs of a superficial person
1. Obsession with appearance
Superficial people often pay excessive attention to appearance. This applies not only to clothes or hairstyles — it’s about personal aesthetics, creating and maintaining the image of an ideal person. Their social networks have only the best photos showing an enviable life. Each publication has a hackneyed quote instead of a unique text, and the maximum number of emojis is used.
Symbols that emphasize status are elevated to the rank of the highest values. Thus, their brand preferences become a sore and highly protected topic. Superficial people love their cars, tablets, phones, and sneakers. After all, it takes a lot of time and effort to create the desired image. This image usually does not correspond to the real state of things, so you must catch up with the mystery. No one is allowed close enough.
However, this is not because of bitter experience, but because of storing only one, the most important secret—the wrapper does not reflect the filling. This situation impacts building social connections. A superficial person does not see the differences between comrades, acquaintances, and friends. Therefore, almost all acquaintances are of a short-term nature.
2. Shallow conversations
The conversation can be fascinating and informative or empty and boring. Of course, there are other intermediate characteristics, but the dialogue’s quality directly indicates the interlocutor’s outlook and character. Shallow people tend to avoid serious and complex topics. They usually belittle the issue’s importance by showing they are above this worldly fuss.
However, they have nothing to say; there is no way to maintain a conversation beyond the daily routine. A superficial person will discuss gossip with genuine interest, talk about the latest TV series on Netflix, and share the dream of a new smartphone model. Materialism with available forms of satisfaction will prevail over philosophy, history, or complex concepts from other areas of life.
On the one hand, this is how a relatively profitable image is formed. The person remains quite active and friendly, sometimes even too much. On the other hand, he closes the possibilities for personal development for himself. Such conversations are always easy and non-confrontational, but they never catch on and leave no room for thought. It’s just a way to kill time, which you can use without expecting more.
3. Rejection of personal growth
Regardless of the field of activity, each of us has a place to grow. This applies to work, personal hobbies, and knowledge. In the end, no one will achieve perfection, but some people give up on self-improvement and even resist it at the initial stage. They cleverly declare, “You know less; you sleep better.” Wisdom has two sides. There is peace in ignorance, but you can sleep through your whole life that way.
However, the latter is quite acceptable to a superficial person. The main thing is that the bed should be broader and softer. Fear explains why it blocks personal growth. Beyond the narrow realm of the known lies a vast ocean of the unknown.
To study something is to admit your lack of knowledge. This brings unnecessary anxiety to life and is perceived as a painful blow to the image. However, there is also an available way out of the situation. You can choose fashionable interests where it is not necessary to achieve results. The fact is that fashion changes quite quickly, and the main thing is to stay on trend.
4. Fear of loneliness
There are different types of characters; some people really need to communicate more, while others are quite comfortable alone. However, the fear of loneliness in a superficial person has a different nature. You can play a role in public or during a conversation by filling an inner void.
When alone, you inevitably come across your thoughts, an honest voice from within. It turns into torture for a more banal reason. Having no deep interests, a person does not know what to do. That’s why he calls his friends, hoping to fill at least some of his free time, which is so slow.
5. Lack of long-term goals
Living in the past or constantly dreaming of a beautiful future is harmful. After all, all the changes are happening here and now — in the present. Nevertheless, there is an extreme degree of living in the present. This occurs when a person does not look even a couple of steps ahead, striving for immediate satisfaction of their needs.
It often turns out only an imitation of joy, which may hide unpleasant consequences. However, the choice always falls on momentary weaknesses. “Live fast, die young” is one of the main mottos of a shallow person consumed by selfishness and emptiness.
What kind of long-term goals can there be without any deep interests? The most accessible abstraction, the desire to get big money or fame, is chosen as the main priority in life. At the same time, there remains a fantastic belief that everything will happen by itself. In the opinion of a superficial person, it cannot be otherwise because he deserves it.
6. Material assessment
A superficial person evaluates the level of success in life-based solely on material indicators. Values, morality, and the very concept of vocation are discarded as secondary or unworthy of attention. The emphasis on material values distorts the whole picture of the world.
New acquaintances are evaluated by their appearance and the presence or absence of symbols of material success. Thus, a gadget or a T-shirt becomes more critical than the one who owns them. A superficial person is prone to overconsumption if he has the opportunity.
He will spend money on luxury items to impress others. When a whole company of such people gathers, intraspecific competition begins, where everyone strives to appear more successful than they are. The result is always universal and total hypocrisy within a group with a highly toxic background.
