A shallow thinker just looks at first-order consequences. A deep thinker, on the other hand, looks at the whole chain of effects, impacts, and outcomes. Shallow thinkers are incapable, and sometimes too lazy, to look at all sides of an issue or to explore the issues deeply before making judgment or decision.

Understanding the distinction between deep and shallow enhances communication, particularly in conveying the extent of physical depths or the complexity of thoughts, emotions, and relationships. Deep involves substantial depth and intensity, while shallow points to minimal depth and superficiality.