Are You a Deep or a Shallow Thinker?

By: Tasha Moore
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Are You a Deep or a Shallow Thinker?
Image: Hill Street Studios / DigitalVision / Getty Images

About This Quiz

You should know where on the thinking spectrum you hover: Are you a deep or a shallow thinker? The answer could help make life a whole lot easier for you. Stop fighting sleepy time if your brain defaults to siesta mode whenever thinking too hard comes into play. You might be better off dealing with surface matters, and that's perfectly okay! As a surface thinker, just be sure that you don't miss your true calling because you're too busy pursuing careers that don't jibe with the way your brain works.

On the flip side, deep thinkers should come to terms with who they are and what expending all that brainpower can do to a person. Our quiz identifies the compulsive behaviors that deep thinkers typically engage in. Don't become a jaded thinker who has used the noggin so much that they can no longer enjoy life's simple pleasures. Luckily, this personality challenge discloses the main characteristics you ought to pursue for balanced brain endeavors. Volatile thinkers are on this kind of path, but indecisiveness threatens to stagnate their progress if they are not careful. 

After you determine which league of thought describes you, know that too much of one way of thinking is no good. Dig deep for matters that require elaborate analysis, but hang out in the shallow end of the mental pool for the simple things in life. 

Move forward and tune in to our questions that will guide you toward more productive thinking patterns.

Spell intellect.
Oh! I see what you did there.
There's an "i" in there somewhere, right?
C...
G-T-F-O-H

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Complete this sentence: "________ is a terrible thing to waste."
A mind
A problem
A coupon
My time

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What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "kite"?
Icarus wings
It's going to fall.
Hi!
Kites are for kids.

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Which do you choose: idealism or practicality?
Idealism
An idealism/practicality sandwich
A basic white T-shirt is always ideal on hot summer days.
Which one does common sense fall under?

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Give the weather forecast for tomorrow.
With all the pollutants out there, tomorrow's forecast will be worse than it is today.
Hot and sunny with a chance for morning clouds
Good day for a popsicle
In which city?

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Is a utopia at all possible?
Anything is possible.
Depends on what one considers "perfect."
Look! Earth-tone taupe is trending. Goodbye, basic gray!
Whoever is even thinking that is in for a rude awakening.

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Are you ready for any challenge that life throws your way?
Bring it!
I can handle anything but earthquakes.
I once won a puppy-petting contest, so I'm ready for anything.
Life'll keep dishin', whether you're hungry for the "meal" or not.

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Who's your favorite philosopher?
Einstein. The best philosophers are theorists.
A cross between Martha Stewart and Dr. Dre. Sorry, Snoop.
Obey the all-body bronzer; it gives life.
I have three: me, myself and I.

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Name the primary tool that you use to solve problems.
My mind
A spatula. Don't ask.
It's a tie between a flosser and a placemat.
A reality check

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How many majors did you take on while in school?
Two
The number keeps changing.
Seventy-one, if you count my "Intro to Selfie Deuces and Duck Lips" course—that was a rough 24 weeks!
The school of hard knocks is its own major.

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Do you prefer the status quo, or are you a reformer?
Change is inevitable.
Status quo. No, reformer! Hmm.
Reformer. I set new trends.
Change, only if it's for the better.

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Quickly offer a brief theory.
Beauty is in the eye of the blind.
A little paranoia goes the wrong way fast.
Buy one, get one free.
Who has time to come up with theories all day?

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What's the most practical thing you've purchased?
We don't buy things, we buy time.
Something that, now that I think about it, I should probably return
Swimwear made of ice
Just buy the darn thing already and stop thinking about buying it.

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Name the place where you come up with your brightest ideas.
My mind
My shower
A nightclub
My car

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Which month is special to you?
I come up with phenomenal thoughts during August.
January through December
Coordinating summer styles in June keeps me busy.
Show me a special month and I'll show you time wasted thinking about how special it is.

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What's the best thing to do before one speaks?
Think
Text a friend to confirm your final answer.
Sing a Broadway tune to introduce that phenomenal statement!
Just speak

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Describe the first step in your thinking process.
Consider all options.
Engage in a "what-ifs" mental fest.
I pivot to my best side before every thought.
Just do it.

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Complete the sentence: "I ________, therefore I am."
Cogito
Worry
Tittle-tattle
Get a lot done

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Reveal an instance where one plus one does not equal two.
"One" can be any quantity at any time.
That "instance" must be why I keep getting the question wrong.
When BOGO equals super bargain.
"You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind..." LOL!

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What type of people do you tend to avoid?
All mental stimulation is welcome.
Jokesters
All hugs are welcome.
Manipulators, BEWARE!

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Have you ever been wrong?
I hope so.
Yes, and that's worrisome.
As the ancient saying goes: If lovin' tortoise-shell sunglasses is wrong, I don't wanna be right.
No.

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Choose the job that suits you best: orator, writer, editor.
Writer
Writer—only if I use pencils with lots of erasures.
Orator during red carpet season; I scream, "Oh no she didn't!" at the TV all the time.
Writer. I'm always quick to text about how much I do. Not. Care.

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What does the future have in store?
Which future?
Let me deal with the present first, please.
Reversible jackets for the Fall season
More bologna from the bureaucrats

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Are you good with numbers?
No
Yes, numbers are trustworthy.
Numbers hurt my brain.
Math was my favorite subject in school.

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What's your definition of the word "scholar"?
Me
Everybody is a scholar.
Anyone with hurt brain
The ones I harassed in grade school to cover for the fact that I was a secret nerd

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Disclose the reason you admire your significant other.
I love the way they think.
I love the cute way they shrug their shoulders.
Love the way shoulder pads look on them.
There ain't no "other" in my life to waste time over.

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Provide the first thing that comes to mind when you hear "genius."
Me
Insomnia
Brainy boo-boos
Givin' 'em a wedgie just because

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Who ranks highest: God or humans?
Humans grant God the supreme position.
Both. One can't exist without the other.
Only a god could have given this human such amazing looks.
Give to God and move on with your life.

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Drop a quick poem.
A rhyme
Do you want a poem that actually rhymes, or something more minimalist...?
Cross on the green so stopped traffic can see your cool skinny jeans.
To be or not to be is the path of least resistance.

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Determine the strength of your beliefs.
Ultra-strong
Moderate
Mild
I haven't given it much thought.

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You Got: