Smart People Avoid Giving Their Opinion On 8 Topics Everyone Else Usually Argues About
Alex Gállego | Pexels Smart people give their attention to things that actually matter, and tend to be indifferent to anything that's irrelevant.
They're good at trusting themselves, which helps them set boundaries and avoid giving their opinion on topics that everyone else argues about. While smart people tend to be more prosocial, that doesn't mean they're giving their two cents on any issue they come across.
Smart people avoid giving their opinion on these topics, but everyone else argues about them
1. Intentional misunderstandings
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Some people will actively misunderstand you. They need you to feel wrong so that they can feel right, even if there's no true answer. Conversations with these kinds of people will never be productive, because they're more fixated on their own security than learning.
But smart people don't waste their energy on arguments and conversations that aren't going anywhere. To them, it's just not worth the mental and emotional consequences.
2. Personal boundaries
If someone doesn't accept or respect their boundaries, there's not much for a smart person to argue about. Their own personal boundaries aren't meant to poke others. They're simply a reminder of the behaviors they're willing to tolerate and accept.
So, if someone disrespects them, it opens up space for them to walk away. It's a sign that they're surrounded by the wrong people, not an excuse to waste their energy trying to force someone else to change.
3. Emotional logic
The smartest people learn how to acknowledge and act on their emotions, without accepting them as concrete facts. How you feel in a certain moment isn't always a fact, which makes arguing about emotional logic a waste of time in so many different scenarios.
Intelligent people know better than to give their opinions on something when a person's "facts" are just projections of their own fears and insecurities. Not only will any criticism invalidate the other person, but it can turn a conversation hostile.
4. Likability
Most emotionally intelligent people already have a sense of internal security. They don't need to be liked by others or seek reassurance to feel good about themselves. They rarely give their opinion on whether or not they like someone, or express how they feel when someone doesn't like them.
They know that not everyone will want to be around them, and that's not something to worry about. Authentic people won't be everyone's cup of tea, and that's okay.
5. Repeated behavior
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Intelligent people who are careful about their boundaries leave a conversation or situation when someone continues to repeat toxic behaviors. They're not going to beg someone to change or expect them to wake up one day and be a different person.
While the average person might give their opinion and argue about someone's bad behaviors time and time again, using their promises as validation for sticking around, smart people give second chances and then create space.
For them, repeated behaviors and inconsistencies are information. They're not something to seek clarity on or argue about.
6. Unrelated topics
In work meetings or conversations with a clear end result, intelligent people focus their energy on the things that matter. Yes, they may validate someone's experience or make people feel comfortable, but they're not giving their opinion on tangents that don't matter for the shared goal.
This requires a level of intuition and self-trust to really understand what's important and what's not relevant, but highly intelligent people have both.
7. People's personal lives and choices
Everyone has the autonomy to make their own decisions. Instead of trying to prove to someone that they're wrong, they may instead validate their personal freedom to do what's right for them.
They may not agree, but that doesn't mean they have to argue for the sake of being right or proving that they know something others don't. Just because they wouldn't make that choice for themselves, it doesn't mean the other person is inherently wrong.
Smart people may choose to separate or walk away from someone whose choices affect their life, but otherwise, they're not worth wasting time on.
8. Gossip and rumors
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Intelligent people are deep-thinkers who enjoy unpacking topics and solving problems with all the information at their fingertips. But that also means they're not interested in gossiping when they rarely have the full story.
Giving their opinion on a dispute between friends or co-workers isn't in their best interest, especially when their thoughts will inevitably make their way to others.
Gossip and venting can be great for bonding in some situations, but it usually only spreads contagious negativity.
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.
