Smart People Have Already Stopped Paying Attention To 9 Things At This Point In Their Lives
Krakenimages.com | ShutterstockThere are some things we give our attention to that aren't good for us. Maybe it's a friend who makes a few too many jokes about us or binging a new TV show. When we stop giving energy to those things in our lives, it can really benefit us.
That's why smart people stop paying attention to certain things as they get older. They prioritize what's good for them instead of the specific things that just cause them more harm.
At this point in their lives, genuinely smart people have already stopped paying attention to these things
1. Their pride
Letting go of your ego can be really hard. It means accepting your imperfections and being vulnerable enough to let people see your flaws. But when you hold on to your pride too much, it can do more harm than good.
While prideful people are busy making sure they don’t look weak, they don’t see that they’re losing friends because they’re too stubborn to let people in. People won’t want to be around them because when they get into fights, their pride stops them from saying sorry and taking accountability for their actions. Intelligent people stop paying attention to their pride because they don’t want to choose their ego over their friends.
2. Clothing trends
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Fashion evolves, and things people like one season could be totally out of style by the next year. A lot of people cycle through clothing to make sure they're staying in touch with the trends, but smart people don’t. They don’t even pay attention to what’s stylish at that moment. They think it’s pointless to throw away a bunch of clothes that will come back into style in a few years.
Plus, it’s wasteful. So many people cycling through their wardrobes has caused a lot of ecological destruction. Staying in style isn't worth hurting our planet, so they choose to ignore trends and create their own personal style instead.
3. Gossip from other people
Gossip is harmful for many reasons. It spreads narratives about people that they have no control over, and much of the time, it’s not even true. Wise people stop paying attention to gossip as they get older because they don't take what others say at face value. If they do hear rumors that catch their attention, they don't keep the gossip going. If it worries them, they ask the person they're concerned for about it directly.
Even when they know what's being said is true, they won't spread the rumors further. They know it's toxic to talk about people behind their back, and they don't want to get caught up in that kind of behavior.
4. Their insecurities
We all have insecurities. When you feel unequipped to handle a big project at work or think your partner is too good for you, it could be all you can focus on. Smart people usually have other insecurities that keep them up at night as well as the ordinary ones. Their intelligence usually helps them become successful, and high-achieving people are more likely to experience self-doubt.
These people become panicked that they don’t deserve their success or that they're going to lose it. Because so many of them experience self-doubt, smart people learn not to get stuck in negative mindsets. They choose to accept that they're never going to be sure they’re enough, so they trust that they are and move forward.
5. Reality TV shows
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People who are smart stop caring about reality TV because they know it’s not worth their time. They’d rather spend their free time reading a book or having deep discussions with friends. Both those activities expand their brains, and reality TV definitely does not.
While learning can make them feel better about themselves, reality TV has been shown to cause damage to viewers' mental health. It makes many people feel insecure about their bodies and causes them to feel anxious or depressed. Intelligent people understand it’s important to take care of their mental and emotional well-being, so they choose to pay attention to things that make them feel better about themselves instead of something that makes them feel worse.
6. Materialistic things
Paying attention to materialistic things won't bring you happiness. Even if it brings a temporary sense of satisfaction, smart people understand it won't last. It's also easy to get buyer's remorse when you start shopping a lot, which is that feeling you get when you get home from the mall and wonder why you bought a weird bird lamp that doesn't go with any of your things.
When you turn to material objects for happiness, it can lead you to overspend on things you don't need. If you turn to shopping every time you feel sad, you're not going to be thinking clearly about your purchases. You're going to buy things quickly to try to obtain that happiness and spend way too much money in the process. Smart people get their happiness in other ways. They stop paying attention to materialistic things to make sure they're spending their money wisely on what they actually want.
7. Overly packed schedules
Signing up for too many activities can leave you feeling pretty drained. You wind up constantly running around trying to fulfill your responsibilities for each thing and get no time for yourself.
That's why smart people avoid overly packed schedules. They don't overextend themselves because they don't want to get burnt out. They're more likely to choose a quiet night in over dinner with all their friends when they're feeling stressed. When they make their schedules more manageable, they make sure they have time to take care of themselves and do what they want to do.
8. Social media
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Much like reality TV, apps like Instagram and TikTok can be terrible for you. While most social media can be harmful if you spend too much time on them, TikTok has been shown to be particularly problematic, as it can reduce your attention span and affect the way you absorb information. Since all the videos are so short, it makes it harder for people who watch frequently to focus on something longer later.
Most intelligent people have invested a lot of time gaining knowledge, and they want to avoid giving their attention to anything that would harm their ability to do that. They'll stick to their more mentally enriching activities instead of doomscrolling.
9. Negativity from others
The smartest people often have a better understanding of the world than others. They’ve learned what's good for them and what's not, even if it's not obvious. One particularly important thing they learned as they go through life is that they should steer clear of other people's negative energy.
As they get older, they stop paying attention to the negativity of others because they understand humans are negative creatures by nature. We naturally tend to focus on the bad things in life rather than the good, so they don't want to hear other people complain about something else that could occupy space in their minds when it's already enough work for them to maintain a positive mindset about their own lives.
Lily Bell is a college student studying English and Publications who covers relationships, mental health, and personal narratives surrounding the human experience.
