You know someone lacks intellectual depth when these 8 habits dominate their communication style - Silicon Canals

"I've interviewed over 200 people for articles, from startup founders to burned-out middle managers, and I've discovered something fascinating: intellectual depth isn't about fancy degrees or knowing obscure facts. It shows up in how we communicate. When certain habits dominate someone's style, it reveals a concerning lack of curiosity and critical thinking that goes beyond just being annoying-it fundamentally limits their ability to engage with the world meaningfully."

""Well, that's just your opinion" has become the ultimate conversation killer, hasn't it? People who lack intellectual depth often hide behind false equivalency, treating all viewpoints as inherently equal rather than examining their merit. During an interview with a tech executive last year, she told me about a team member who constantly derailed strategy meetings by insisting every random suggestion deserved equal consideration, regardless of data or expertise. This isn't about being open-minded. It's about avoiding the hard work of critical evaluation."

Intellectual depth manifests in communication habits and not in credentials alone. People who lack depth often treat all opinions as equally valid, relying on false equivalency rather than evaluating merit. Such individuals use absolutes like 'always' and 'never,' avoiding nuance. This tendency stems from avoiding the hard work of critical evaluation and an inability to distinguish informed analysis from uninformed speculation. The result is limited curiosity and diminished capacity to engage meaningfully with complex issues. Communication patterns such as derailing meetings with unwarranted parity of ideas reveal underlying gaps in critical-thinking skills.

Read at Silicon Canals