People With Strong Opinions & Zero Self-Awareness Tend To Say 6 Phrases In Random Conversations
Joshua Mcknight | Pexels When people have different opinions, there's always something to learn.
Nobody is going to agree 100% of the time, but when someone boasts strong opinions yet lacks self-awareness, it can rub others the wrong way. It becomes less about respect and more about being right.
Phrases people use when they have strong opinions but no self-awareness
1. 'If you can't handle the truth, that's your problem'
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When someone calls out a person with no self-awareness but a lot to say, that person may become defensive. Even if someone tells them their words were hurtful, they can't admit they were wrong and just apologize.
They value their own opinions so strongly that they can't believe anyone might not share their views. So, when someone doesn't let them get away with being so close-minded, they perceive it as a criticism and refuse to reflect on their own mistakes.
According to clinical psychologist Leon F. Seltzer, "Anyone who's particularly insecure and therefore possesses an extremely fragile ego, will — to safeguard their vulnerability — react to a perceived attack defensively. From deep within, they'll feel compelled to deflect all criticism."
So, there's no point in arguing with someone who won't take accountability for their actions. They're probably even unaware of how negatively their behavior affects everyone.
2. 'It's no big deal'
This phrase may come as a response to someone expressing frustration. Whereas people with self-awareness might offer empathy and understanding, an opinionated person who lacks self-awareness will say "it's no big deal."
By using this phrase, they're coming off extremely harsh and inconsiderate. They're showing that they don't care how someone might feel in that moment, nor do they wish to hear what that person has to say.
3. 'You can't change my mind'
When opinions are challenged, opinionated people lash out if they lack self-awareness. They see any disagreement as someone trying to undermine their intelligence, rather than as a way to understand a different point of view.
They don't respect the opinions of others. So, when someone disagrees with them and calls them out on their facts, they will never admit they were wrong or change their mind. They don't want to learn, they just want to win.
4. 'See where bad decisions get you?'
An opinionated person often turns the blame on others, even if they didn't do anything wrong. Instead of acknowledging their accomplishments or successes, they focus on what that person did poorly.
They won't even attempt to understand why that person made the choices they did. And it often stems from their own difficulties regulating their emotions.
Despite lacking self-awareness, they think the other person had enough mindfulness to choose correctly. When things have gone wrong, instead of offering support, they'll say things like "See where bad decisions get you?" It's their way of judging and touting superiority, without a care in the world for how hurtful that can be.
5. 'We wouldn't be arguing if you'd listened to me in the first place'
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Because self-awareness is one of the foundations of empathy, when someone has almost none of it, they're usually insensitive. They become so focused on proving their opinions right that they don't care how others feel about it.
They tend to dramatize daily events in their life, probably because they want to be the center of attention. They also believe they can do more than they're capable of and are unable to see their own flaws.
They'll use a phrase like this to lift themselves up and feel superior, likely not even realizing, or not caring, if anyone else has a problem with it.
6. 'I'm not the problem here, you are'
By saying "I'm not the problem, you are," people with strong opinions and no self-awareness are blaming and not taking accountability for their words or actions.
If someone criticizes their bad behavior, they take immediate offense to it. They want to protect their self-image at all costs, so they spin the criticism right back onto the critic.
They simply can't understand how they're only perpetuating the problem by not owning up to what they did wrong. Yes, criticism can feel like you're being attacked, but not all criticism is a bad thing, especially when it comes to respecting someone else's views.
Allison Peterson is a writer with a degree in English from the University of Nevada, Reno. She writes on relationships, lifestyle, and mental health topics.
