You Can Tell Someone Has Nothing Going On Mentally By 8 Phrases They Say In Most Conversations
Nicholas Swatz | Pexels Sometimes, the most incompetent people are infuriating.
You can usually tell they have nothing going on mentally by the phrases they use, as well as their mannerisms. They expect everyone to make their lives easier, and the overconfidence they bring to every interaction, despite their lack of skills and intelligence, is the cherry on top.
Phrases people often say when they have nothing going on mentally
1. 'Yeah, that's too hard for me'
Gorgev | Shutterstock
Avoidance is how incompetent people get out of learning new things. They shut down opportunities to challenge themselves and let everyone else figure it out for them. While the rest of the adults in their lives know that with challenge comes growth, these people put comfort first.
They'd prefer to avoid anything that puts them out of their comfort zones, even if it keeps them stuck. The nothingness in their brain never changes or shifts because learning isn't a priority.
2. 'Whatever you want'
On the other end of the overconfident, incompetent spectrum are the kinds of people who leave decision-making to others. They always say "whatever you want" or "I don't care," because unwinding their feelings is too much of a strain on the nothingness they like to protect.
Even when it puts a mental burden on others to choose for the group or step into a makeshift leadership position at work, they don't really care.
3. 'Why do you even care?'
While curiosity is an innate trait for most intelligent people, someone with sheer incompetence on their side is more likely to lead with the "Who cares?" mindset. Not only do they lack strong opinions, but they tend to condemn other people for thinking deeply.
In their minds, the discomfort and challenge these intelligent folks bring to debates and conversations is unnecessary, usually because it feels like a personal attack.
4. 'I heard...'
GaudiLab | Shutterstock
The people with nothing going on mentally and no sense of authenticity try to compensate by collecting information to use against others. The most interesting thing about them is what they know about everyone else, hence their superficiality.
They gossip. They're always spreading secrets around and feeding the rumor mill. It's clear that they're only interested in supporting their own social capital, not building real connections.
5. 'I don't have to know that'
While most people are born curious, it's the deepest thinkers who tend to exercise it regularly. They go beyond the surface level and let themselves ask questions, even when they technically don't have to know the answers.
They want to expand their perspective and their worldview, while someone with nothing going on mentally is doing everything they can to stay in their comfort zone. "I don't have to know that" might technically be true, but it's also coming at their own expense.
6. 'I didn't mean it'
While people with faster response times tend to build higher social connection with strangers, according to a 2022 study, it's usually about intentionality. If someone is reacting impulsively without thinking first, they probably say things they don't mean and bring an aura of anxiety to their interactions.
Instead of appreciating a little awkward pause and going inward to think about what they want to say, they spew their first emotions or thoughts.
7. 'I already know that'
Most overconfident people place their own worth in seeming right and convincing everyone else that they're correct. But they may lack the critical thought to actually understand things.
They say "I already know that" as a defense, but it's just a projection of the fear and uncertainty that lives inside. If they're not interested in learning anything, they pretend to know everything to avoid having to learn something new.
8. 'You're such a try-hard'
CrizzyStudio | Shutterstock
When they can't seem confident around a bunch of intelligent people who care about asking the right questions or learning something new, you'll often hear rude, judgmental phrases like this. "You're such a try-hard" is how they cope with their own insecurities, as they have nothing going on inside to match someone else's intellect.
Much like someone with little control inside tries to control everyone and everything else in their world, these people try to condemn the intelligent folks they're nothing like to make themselves feel better.
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.
