Are You Being Shallow? Here Are 7 Ways to Stop Being Shallow

Where we live in a world filled with Instagram filters and quick swipes on dating apps, it can become almost easy to get caught up in the shallow end of the pool. With showering praises and a never-ending loop of who liked your content, it’s almost impossible to look beyond these superficial things.

I’ve lived in a society where my personality was defined by my job, my choice of career, and even the way I dressed up. While I soon realized that these shallow things do not truly define me, others have not been so lucky. With the rise of influencer culture, it’s easy to get caught up in superficial things and ideas.

Being shallow isn’t inherently bad, but this trait can limit your experiences and relationships. It’d be like watching a trailer for a movie, believing that you know everything about the movie – only to miss out on the narrative it presents later on. So, if you’ve ever found yourself treading in the shallow end of the pool of life, then I have a few ways to help you stop being shallow and live a deeper and fulfilling life.

Are You a Shallow Person?

If you’ve ever been called shallow or if you’ve ever told yourself, “I am shallow” then you must wonder what it truly means to be shallow. Well, in simple terms, being shallow means having a superficial or surface-level perspective, where you lack depth, insight, and even meaningful relationships with others.

If you’re a shallow person, then you focus mostly on outward appearances, material things, or shallow aspects of your life, thoroughly neglecting the deeper aspects of life.

To find a solution to anything, we need to first understand and spot the signs of the problem. Without a diagnosis, you can’t get treatment, right? So, how to know if you’re being shallow? Watch out for these signs;

• You judge people based on their looks, possessions, or social status
• Your conversations with others rarely go beyond small talk or gossip
• You chase the next trendy thing or fashion, thinking it’ll be the one to make you happier
• You are quick to judge someone for their opinions without giving them a chance to be their true selves
• Your interests and hobbies are nothing worth noting either. You either spend your time binge-watching reality shows or endlessly scrolling through your social media

There’s nothing wrong with being a shallow person, but when you place everything, you have on materialistic things to chase happiness, it can leave you feeling disappointed. An interesting study found that up to a certain phase, you can find happiness from materialism, but after that phase, your happiness will start to fall.

7 Ways to Stop Being Shallow

So, how to stop being shallow in your life – about your looks, beliefs, and more – and in your relationships? Check out these 7 simple ways to stop being shallow;

1.Explore New Interests

Only when you do things for yourself, can you find what interests you the most. To stop being shallow, you need to expand your worldview. You can do this by exploring new interests and hobbies, traveling to new places, and reading about different things. When you expand your knowledge, you can enrich your life and eventually, conversations.

2.Be Mindful

Beware of what kind of content you consume on TV or social media. Choose content that goes beyond the surface level and explore deeper topics. When you live a shallow life, you forget to ask yourself what you like or want. You resort to copying others. Stop comparing yourself to others. Understand that your life can be defined by you and live with your beliefs, no matter what others tell you.

3.Keep an Open Mind

Be open to new ideas, cultures, and experiences. To go deeper into the pool of life and escape the shallow waters, you need to work on expanding your open-mindedness. You can do this by embracing diversity and seeking opportunities where you can learn from others. Know that to stop being shallow, you need to look beyond the surface.

4.Find Your True Self

When you live for others, you lose yourself; I once read somewhere, that if you give all of yourself away, what are you left with? Being shallow often involves living life as others expect you to and to stop being shallow, you need to live for yourself. Stop making others happy and find happiness for yourself first. Live your true self. Find what you like and live by that.

5.Go Deeper in Conversations

Instead of small talk in conversations, try to ask questions that encourage deeper thinking and meaningful conversations. To escape your shallow thinking and traits, you need to learn how to go deeper in conversations. Questions such as “What is your passion?” “What drives you in life?” can be good starters – for all parties involved in the conversation!

6.Practice Self-Reflection

Take time regularly to examine your thoughts and actions. Are your actions and thoughts driven by shallow motives? Do they hold a deeper meaning? Work on knowing yourself to escape being shallow. When you know what encourages you or drives you to act the way you do, it can help you change and adjust your behaviors.

7.Find Happiness Within

The thing with being shallow is that it often comes from chasing happiness in materialistic things. We believe that getting that new gadget or that trending outfit will make us happier, but for how long? To stop being shallow, you need to find happiness within yourself. It’s not the number of followers, the new dress, or the new car that’ll make you truly happy. It’s being your true self that’ll do the trick.

You can find happiness within and escape being superficial with these activities too;

• Being kinder and more empathetic
• Disconnecting from your phone and reconnecting with yourself
• Having real conversations about goals, fears, dreams, etc.
• Embracing a simple, minimal, but intentional life

Wrapping Up…

In this world where being shallow is seen as a badge of honor, it’s important to go on a journey that leads you into the deeper ends of the pool of life. It’s OK to be shallow; we’re humans after all, but don’t let your superficial behavior and thoughts stop you from exploring the horizons. Being open-minded, intentional, and self-reflective can help you escape the shallow waters.

Being shallow is not something negative, but you need to balance it out with depth. So, don’t be afraid to explore the deep side of your soul and watch your life turn meaningful and fulfilling in no time.

I hope this article helped you learn how to stop being shallow and become more meaningful in your life. Let me know what you think about the ways I shared in the article in the comments below.

Good Luck!