Simple-Minded People Make 8 Basic Things Way More Complicated Than Those Who Think Deeply
perechulia / ShutterstockWhen you think too much about something, you often start to overcomplicate it. Simple-minded people who don't understand something can fall into this trap more easily than deep thinkers, because they struggle to grasp the real issue at hand.
People with simple minds take a complex idea and try to attack it all at once, while those who have learned to think deeply adopt a different strategy, taking ideas they see as complicated and breaking them down into smaller parts. This helps them learn about confusing subjects more easily. Then, they look at the big picture and maybe see the idea wasn't as complicated as they thought.
Simple-minded people tend to make 8 specific things way more complicated than people who are deep thinkers
1. Reading for fun
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I love to read. I can be found reading almost every day whenever I get free time. I'm not a big fan of reading e-books, so I typically stick to physical books. This easily shows the people around me that I'm reading, and a lot of times they make comments about it, including that I must be smart if I love reading so much.
This happens even when I am knee-deep in a romance book that might be teaching me absolutely nothing. Deep-minded people know that books aren't just informational. Some books are purely for entertainment and a way for people to relax. Not everyone who reads is trying to become smarter.
Simple-minded people overcomplicate the goal of reading. When I'm reading for enjoyment, I usually don't have a goal in mind. Deep thinkers know that someone's behavior doesn't always reflect their character. They avoid misidentifying someone's intelligence because they learn to see beyond what they are doing.
2. Planning your life
Life planning can help you understand the path of your future. Some people get stressed out about it, feeling confined by a structured plan.
Deep-thinking individuals understand that some ways of planning their lives don't work for everyone. If they struggle with feeling confined by a plan, they might make it a little looser so they can figure it out along the way. Even then, they might still choose to stick with a more detailed life plan.
Deep-thinking people know life changes all the time, and that whatever plans you make will probably change. They view plans more as guidelines and as a way to set priorities. By placing less emphasis on the concreteness of a life plan, deep thinkers can create a path for themselves without feeling smothered by it.
3. Philosophical conversations
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Philosophy oftentimes covers moral dilemmas and how people respond to them. A lot of the time, there isn’t a right answer to the question. It’s more about why people do what they do and how different people have different views on what's right and wrong. Philosophical questions tend to look at how people'sbelief systems and thought processes influence their moral choices.
Many people who don’t understand philosophy struggle to answer hypothetical questions posed by philosophers. They can become stressed because both answers seem right. They might be confused if a philosopher tells them there isn’t a right answer. Some people also see philosophy as too complicated to understand, so they don't try.
They can hear a question such as 'Would you rather be unhappy as a human or be happy as a cat?' and feel their head spin. However, deep thinkers who know how to break things down can understand that this question is about how important being happy is to you and what you would give up to be happy.
People who think deeply know how to apply complex philosophies to their own lives and understand them on a personal level.
4. Exercising creativity
A creative activity can help entertain you when you're bored. It can look different to everyone, but most simple-minded people stick to the same basic creative activities, like painting a picture or writing a story. They can stay trapped using the same common ways to be creative rather than figuring out a new way to exercise it.
Deep-thinkers learn to exercise their creativity in the way that works best for them. One of my friends, who is a deep thinker, loves magazines. She finds great joy in cutting out pictures and gluing them onto a canvas to create intricate collages. This is a lot more fun for her than painting directly onto the canvas. By finding a creative activity that works for her, she exercises her creativity more than people who aren't passionate about theirs.
My friend consistently uses her creativity, which also makes her happier. Creativity has been shown to positively affect your general well-being. By learning to be creative in their own unique way, deep thinkers can become more excited about life.
5. Goals for learning
If you ask a simple-minded person what they are learning about, they might give you the facts that they remember. Some people might get tricked into thinking that this means they know what they are talking about. Yet, if you ask a simple-minded person to explain more, you might realize they have no idea what they are saying.
Deep-thinkers don't try to learn information through facts. They probably understand that knowing a particular data point doesn't mean they know its significance. Instead, they can dig deeper by figuring out why the data was researched and why it is important to people.
Deep-thinkers consider facts as part of the information, while simple-thinkers stop once they have learned the key points of the idea. Data sometimes simplifies information as well, so that it can be more understandable to a wider audience. Deep-thinkers know to keep pushing for information to truly understand the things they learn.
6. Emotional intelligence
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Deep-thinkers aren't always smart, but they are typically emotionally intelligent. They have learned that how people feel strongly influences their behavior.
Understanding where someone is emotionally helps deep-thinkers gauge what their friend will do next. When someone is emotional, they might snap at their friends. Simple-thinkers could think this means that their friends are mad at them, but deep-thinkers know better. They look for signs to see if the response was fueled by anger or anxiety.
This can help them understand why their friend is acting that way, rather than feeling hurt by the response. It also clues them in on what their friends need. If a friend who is stressed about work snaps at someone, a deep thinker might know to ask how they can help lighten their friend's load.
7. Avoiding conflict
There are different ways deep thinkers and simple-minded people enter a conversation they know will create conflict. Deep-thinkers have a way of avoiding conflict that simple-minded people might not understand.
Deep-thinkers set boundaries with the people they let into their lives. Once they set a boundary, they can watch to see if their friends are following them and whether they are trustworthy. It helps them know what relationships they should keep and which will cause too much conflict. Boundaries also help people get over conflict more easily after an argument has already started.
By knowing whom to trust, deep-thinkers can avoid arguments with people they know will hurt them. This allows them to avoid extra relationship conflict and instead find friends who only have conflict when something is truly wrong.
8. The words they use
Most people want to be thought of as smart. Unfortunately, the things people do to try to make themselves seem smart can sometimes make them seem dumber. One way simple-minded people can try to seem intelligent is by using big words.
Simple-minded people might do this because they believe it will make them seem to have a large vocabulary, but deep thinkers see through it. They notice when someone uses an excessive number of complicated words and understand that they are using them to project an idea about themselves.
They might understand the meanings behind the big words their simple-minded friend is using. In this case, they might notice that what their friends are saying is wrong. If someone doesn't know the definition of the words they are using, you might assume they don't know much about the subject they are talking about, either.
Deep thinkers know that it is better to use words they understand to explain something. This stops them from confusing themselves and their friends with big words just to seem smart.
Lily Bell is a college student studying English and Publications who covers relationships, mental health, and personal narratives surrounding the human experience.
