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SHALLOW LIVING AS A RESULT OF NEUROSIS. (Karen Horney; Sept. 22, 1948) The problem of shallow living first struck me when a writer consulted me as to why he had become completely unproductive after having written one quite good book. At that time I eliminated the possibility of conflicts about subject matter, then found progressively that he had greatly diminished interest in any subject at all, then began to see that he had turned entirely away from any serious work and had for years simply pursued pleasure. When I pointed out that he had turned wholly to the periphery of life and spent all his energies there, and that as a result all his feelings had flattened out, he was able to tackle this with real seriousness, get to work again and make some progress.
Later Erich Fromm wrote of this problem in individuals who had been crushed quite early in life—and who then started simply to adapt themselves, like automatons, never undertaking any life of their own. He made the point that this condition should be distinguished from a condition of “defect.” Problems similar to this are described in Jackson's The Outer Edges, in which a brutal murder can be experienced by those around only as a sort of thrill, and in George Eliot's Romola, in which a slight weakness of character slowly develops into a real deterioration of the whole personality.
These examples show different parts of the same syndrome: A person who was originally normal, capable, full of life, later shows loss of moral values, of feelings, and of real appreciation of life. By definition, this is a kind of living that lacks depth and intensity; lacks direction, autonomy, and real meaning. This I would call shallow living.
Concerning feelings and interests, we can say that feelings in such people are very shallow. Words of praise or warmth appear easily with little meaning and no marked sincerity. They have personal conversations but no serious discussions, and they seek diversions more vigorously than anything else