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7 Examples of Superficial

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Superficial is the prioritization of appearances over realities. This word always has negative connotations. The following are illustrative examples of behaviors that could be considered superficial.

Insincerity

Saying things that you don't mean. For example, flattering people to try to gain social or economic advantages.

Social Status

Being concerned with what people think as opposed to deeper realities such as values, relationships, self-fulfillment and the human experience. For example, abandoning a friend because they are suddenly unpopular.

Materialism

Materialism is the prioritization of physical things over intangible things. For example, someone who spends all their time and energy thinking about shoes. This is commonly accused of being superficial as intangible elements of the human experience such as relationships with people are considered "deeper" than physical products.

Biases

Biases are flawed judgements that are typically incorrect and unfair. For example, making assumptions about people based on how they look.

Posing

Posing is the act of pretending that you're something that you're not. In some cases, posing actually leads somewhere positive based on a strategy known as fake it till you make it whereby you have to pretend to fit in before you actually do. For example, the first time anyone dances in front of people they may pretend to know what they are doing.

Virtue Signalling

Attempting to look like a virtuous person by communicating support for issues without actually doing much to actually change the world. In its worst forms, virtue signalling involves aggressively pointing out other people's failings or weaknesses in a self-righteous manner to try to position yourself as morally superior.

Mediocrity

Mediocrity is a pathetic state whereby an individual is only interested in safety, entertainment, comfort and convenience. The mediocre seek the safety of the group and are very concerned with appearing "normal" for fear of being socially isolated. For this reason, they may shun anything or anyone that they perceive as outside their group.

Notes

The word superficial always has negative connotations when referring to human behavior. However, it is a judgement call whether a particular behavior is superficial or not. For example, one observer may feel that an extremely fashionable person must be superficial while another might view fashion as an worthy element of the human experience such that fashionable people are admirable. This judgement is often clouded by biases such as sour grapes.
The word superficial can also refer to something that is physically shallow. For example, a superficial cut is a cut that isn't deep.

Opposite of Superficial

The following can be considered antonyms of superficial, depending on the context.
Accomplished
Compassionate
Confident
Considerate
Cultured
Deep
Elegant
Genuine
Intense
Introspective
Mature
Original
Refined
Respectable
Self-assured
Sincere
Sophisticated
Unaffected
Unpretentious
Well-rounded
Overview: Superficial
Type
Definition (1)
The prioritization of appearances over realities.
Definition (2)
An entity that is shallow such that it is not deep.
Also Known As
Shallow
Plastic
Related Concepts

Behavior

This is the complete list of articles we have written about behavior.
Actions
Altruism
Archetypes
Attitudes
Biases
Character
Cooperation
Cruel To Be Kind
Cruel Wit
Denial
Ghosting
Human Nature
Inferiority Complex
Mediocrity
Motivations
Passive Aggressive
Pathologizing
Polite Fiction
Reactance
Respect
Risk Taking
Saving Face
Self-Control
Sidelining
Social Behavior
Social Comparison
Social Loafing
Social Pressure
Social Strengths
Social Thinking
Sour Grapes
Sycophancy
Tetris Effect
Tit For Tat
Trust Issues
Victim Mentality
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Behavior

A list of human behaviors.

Denial

A list of common types of denial with examples.

Polite Fiction

The definition of polite fiction with examples.

Sycophancy

The definition of sycophancy with examples.

Self-Control

The definition of self-control with examples.

Ghosting

The definition of ghosting with examples.

Cruel To Be Kind

The definition of cruel to be kind with examples.

Human Nature

A list of the common elements of human nature.

Tetris Effect

An overview of the tetris effect with examples.

Character Traits

A list of common character traits.

Humility

The definition of humility with examples and counter examples.

Virtue

A list of virtues including the twelve virtues of Aristotle.

Flattery

The definition of flattery with examples.

Pathologizing

The definition of pathologizing with examples.

Words To Describe A Person

A list of useful words for describing a person.

Humble Opposite

A list of words that can be viewed as the opposite of humble.

Words For Humble

A list of words for humble.
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