People With Zero Ability To Think For Themselves Usually Say 9 Phrases In Casual Conversation
Dragon Images | ShutterstockCritical thinking is struggling in our modern society. There are all kinds of reasons, from AI to an increase in screen time. But this lack of human thought and problem-solving skills is affecting us all.
People with no ability to think for themselves say all kinds of things that make conversations with them completely annoying. They bring ignorance and incompetence to social interactions and seem to lack any sort of curiosity or depth.
If someone has no ability to think for themselves, they usually say these phrases casually
1. 'What do you think we should do?'
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The smartest people tend to form their thoughts and opinions personally first, so they can bring these ideas to a group conversation or collaborative environment, instead of relying on everyone else to share their own. They likely create space for everyone else to talk through their ideas, but not without also sharing their own.
People who can't think for themselves need the expertise and personality of others to contribute to any kind of conversation, so you'll hear them asking this question constantly. Even in intimate conversations where there's no right or wrong answer, they lack the self-awareness to express their feelings and emotions.
2. 'That sounds good'
The most intelligent people are curious about everything. They enjoy piecing things together and breaking things apart to understand why something works the way it does. But someone operating from a place of ignorance agrees to things and follows other people's lead, even when it makes no sense.
People with a genius level of intelligence don't necessarily speak more, but they do ask smart questions and avoid agreeing with things just because it's easier to do.
3. 'That's what I would say'
When someone says, "That's what I was going to say," what they typically mean to say is, "I don't know what to say, so I'm agreeing with you." Some even use these phrases to cling to someone they perceive to be powerful or smart, so they can benefit their own self-image without having to put in any effort.
They like to float by without doing much critical thinking, and usually benefit from associating themselves with the smartest person in a room. They pretend like their responses and opinions are also their own, even if it's obvious to everyone else that they're flying by the seat of their pants.
4. 'I can't help you'
Even when they don't have the answers or skills to directly help answer someone's question or support a person who's struggling, people with deep-thinking minds never say, "I can't help you." They can dive deeper into the issue at hand and, at the very least, connect them with someone who has the answers and can help.
Lazy people who never want to apply themselves prefer to avoid helping others, usually because they don't know how to solve problems. While people refusing to put any effort into critical thinking may believe that they're saving their energy by being unhelpful, in the long run they may actually be putting their cognitive well-being at risk.
5. 'I read something somewhere'
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Especially in today's world, if someone uses a phrase like this to back up an opinion or fact, what they usually mean is "I saw this on TikTok." They watched a think piece online or someone else's opinion and adopted it as their own, without any deeper thinking on what it means or how they could apply it.
With AI tools like ChatGPT further harming critical thinking and original thought, these dulled minds of people who can't think thoughtfully about anything often only use these phrases in their conversations.
6. 'I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings'
In emotional conversations, where someone is being asked to go deeper and express themselves in a thoughtful way, people with no self-awareness rely on excuses like this. They worry about standing out from the crowd and not conforming because it shines a spotlight on their lack of intentionality.
They're making things up and suppressing other feelings, so they'd prefer to blend in with everyone to save their own social image.
7. 'You told me to'
Many ignorant people who can't think for themselves or assess risk in any environment avoid accountability when they make mistakes. It's in their own best interest not to contribute to conversations and solutions because they can then deflect and evade responsibility when something goes wrong.
They celebrate when things work out, as if it were their idea, and blame-shift toward everyone else when it doesn't.
8. 'Everyone knows that'
The most insecure people who can't think for themselves project this uncertainty onto others all the time. They feel better about themselves when they invalidate other people's feelings and dismiss their contributions to conversations.
Even if that person is sharing a fact that they'll end up using to their advantage down the road, you'll usually hear "well, everyone knows that" from them instantly. They're not afraid to bring other people down because they believe it makes them look and feel better.
9. 'I've never thought about that'
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Whether it's social media or shifts in narcissism amongst younger generations, critical thinking is struggling. So many people would rather accept things at face value and use social media to form their opinions than challenge themselves by diving deeper.
"I've never thought about that" is usually what they have to say when someone brings a unique, new perspective to a conversation, because it's the truth. They're not curious. They don't ask questions. They don't follow their interests down rabbit holes to learn.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
