Shallowness- its prevention and cure

[Lychee]

I am referring to "shallowness" in the sense of lacking depth to character or personality.

Referring to a definition listed on urbandictionary.com

"A person who cannot access the imaginative, creative, understanding, emotional part of their brain...Shallow people are brainwashed by the media, they can't think for themselves..."

What do you think is the best way to prevent becoming shallow? The cure?

Furthermore, what do you think is the best way to cultivate depth of personality and character?

[tgl]

What makes you ask?

[helgabb]

I think the word shallow could be looked at metaphorically in the sense that it indicates a person who is not connected with his deeper true self and therefore clings to whatever he thinks is the best way of acting.

If you don´t recognize yourself as an intrinsic part of life and see your connectedness to other people and life in general you will base your perception of self-identity from your education/friends/work/social status and so on. Then you will be always seeking fulfillment outside of yourself and become easily "brainwashed by the media" or your social roles. The more you are identified with your roles and not your true self the more shallow you become.

I think that in a sense we are all shallow in some way but we recognize it more in others than in ourselves. The cure and the best way to cultivate depth of personality and character is then to listen to your inner self, your heart, your soul, your buddha-nature (whatever you choose to call it) because then your action will be based on wisdom and compassion, spreading love, joy and peace to the world around you.

[Radical]

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved." - Helen Keller

[ImOpen]

"What do you think is the best way to prevent becoming shallow? The cure?"

Just find arenas where there are no rules. Sing and sing until you find something that is really you and not a product of your environment. Do the same by writing... Don't study law.

[qufighter]

I agree with helgabb... If you are just going through the motions, in anything, you are being shallow.

It is relatively easy to find out the minimum that you have to do to pass for a normal human being. This is relatively typical, and a good way to be shallow, but not a good way to stand out.

By being yourself you should ideally be seeking that which sets you personally apart from the rest and expressing that.

Definition of "Deep" (opposite of shallow) taken from urbandictionary.com:

“1. Difficult to understand.”
“2. Very intense, profound, or intriguing."

So depending on who you talk to, if you are saying something deep, they will likely react in one of the two above ways.

There may be people who at present are seemingly incapable of being deep. To some it comes naturally, but in many it seems to have been sought out and eliminated during their upbringing which is generally intent on making everyone as similar as possible, at least outwardly.