The Zodiac Signs Ranked From Least To Most Careless
All of the zodiac signs have elements of carelessness built into their DNA — it's just human nature. Carelessness is not inherently harmful and is more often experienced as an annoying habit in a person than anything else. Constantly losing your keys, forgetting your wallet at the coffee counter on the way to work every morning, or a general lack of awareness of your person and belongings could fall into the category of carelessness. These casually careless acts don't make you bad, and they don't often have severe consequences for anyone else. Rather, they happen due to a lack of organization, disorders like ADHD or anxiety, or perhaps from simply having an overly-busy brain.
But there are some astrological signs that tend to be willfully careless. These signs often choose to disregard rules or for their own personal satisfaction and vehemently oppose the needs and perspectives of others. Some speak without thinking of how their words will affect the people they are speaking to and prefer to voice their opinion without a filter. Others carelessly flake on plans they make with friends or family or consistently fail to follow through with their commitments. But which zodiac signs are naturally careless, and which would simply benefit from a new day planner and a designated key hook?
Careful Virgo
Brainy, highly organized, and meticulous Virgos can't help but be cautious and careful in every aspect of their lives. Virgos make excellent partners and co-workers because they effortlessly harness their grounded, analytical earth energy to tackle projects with vigor and never fail to see them through to the finish line. Sometimes their perfectionist tendencies can drive people nuts, but Virgos would rather ensure that things are done right the first time. Mistakes feel like failures, and accidentally hurting someone's feelings is a fate worse than death.
"They don't want to cut corners either; they will go the extra mile, especially if they are the ones responsible for the outcome," astrologer Jill Loftis tells Best Life. Virgos are practical to a fault and are consequently extremely responsible people. Ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication and thought, Virgos are exceptionally careful with how they speak to others. They proofread their emails for tone and debate the necessity of extra exclamation points. Out in the world, they are exceedingly polite and courteous to the people they interact with.
However, this careful attention to their words doesn't mean they sugarcoat their feelings or skirt around the truth. On the contrary, Virgos are honest and conscientious individuals. They simply respect the feelings of others and never want to be the reason someone feels bad or disregarded. The greater good is important to Virgos, and they work tirelessly to make sure their actions aren't a hindrance to that admirable goal.
Disciplined Capricorn
Like Virgos, Capricorn is a pragmatic and disciplined sign that has both feet planted firmly on the ground. These traits make them conscientious and responsible individuals who work harder than any other sign to achieve their lofty goals. Capricorns rarely lose their belongings, forget their passwords, or misplace important documents.
Planning ahead is one of this sign's greatest superpowers. They are masters of daily routines and prioritizing what needs to get accomplished to ensure results. However, it is important to note that this hyper-focus doesn't detract from being dependable. Capricorns make fun, loyal, and trustworthy friends that can be relied upon no matter what their schedule might dictate. Business is usually the name of the game for Capricorns, but they follow through with their commitments. Furthermore, they have zero patience for phony people who speak poorly of others and instead surround themselves with emotionally intelligent, mature, caring people like themselves.
Their connection to the restrictive planet Saturn can give Capricorn an air of emotional distance that can seem careless to those who wear their hearts on their sleeve. It also contributes to a dry, direct way of speaking that might initially rub a sensitive person the wrong way. But this planetary influence actually makes them extremely good at keeping track of details others overlook. They notice the little things about a person, such as their likes and routines, and use that information to brighten their day.
Grounded Taurus
Taurus possesses a strong inner awareness that makes them highly in tune with their thoughts and actions. Patient, resourceful, and consistent, these spring bulls think before they speak and employ practical, common-sense measures when making decisions. They are never rash, impulsive, or thoughtless. Instead, they prefer their lives to be rooted in logic, structure, and steadfast conservation at all times.
This inherent desire to preserve and protect makes this sign great at building personal wealth and saving money. They always pay their bills on time and have a gift for helping careless spenders reevaluate their own attitudes toward their finances. Being rich isn't necessarily important to Taureans, but security and beauty are. They understand what needs to be done and the responsibility achieving that goal entails.
Taureans are dedicated and determined individuals who focus on the task at hand, both at work and in their personal lives. With the help of a solid routine and healthy habits, Taureans maintain a productive schedule that keeps them from forgetting the little details that might otherwise slip through the cracks. They also have a naturally long memory which is great for combating personal carelessness but can contribute to major grudge-holding if they feel others are being irresponsible or careless.
Thoughtful Scorpio
Scorpios get a bad reputation for being overly intense, illusive beings, both of which might indicate a lack of reliability or a semblance of carelessness. While it is true that these prickly scorpions are often shrouded in frightful mystery and powerful emotions, Scorpios are thoughtful, receptive, and strong-willed people that make loyal friends and fantastic romantic partners. The people they love are never subjected to thoughtless comments or hurtful acts.
The truth is important to Scorpio, but so is tactfulness. They aren't in the business of exposing others just for the sake of drama or through a lack of foresight. Self-awareness is also important to Scorpios. They routinely turn inward and take a hard look at themselves and their behavior, making adjustments as needed to avoid future missteps.
Scorpios are also highly intuitive, perceptive, and observant people — traits that keep them from being careless with their emotions and carefully vet the people they welcome into their inner circle. "They slowly bring you into your life," author and astrologer Narayana Montúfar explains to USA Today. "Even if you don't notice it, they're observing you." They are a shrewd judge of character, seeing through the phonies and fakes and uncovering what is real.
People-pleasing Libra
As a result of their cooperative, conscientious, and fair-minded natures, Libras are rarely careless with their words or actions. They preach peace and exude harmonious vibes. Being empathetic is extremely important to Libra, and they value the feelings and experiences of others too highly to ever speak out of pettiness or anger. The opinions of others also mean a great deal to Libras.
They want to please everyone and avoid ruffling any feathers, so much so that they occasionally sacrifice their own well-being in an effort to find balance in group dynamics or personal relationships. However, since they are a wise zodiac sign that people are always asking for advice from, paired with their desire to help everyone and be there for others, sometimes Libras are forced to stretch themselves too thin. They over-commit and end up having to flake on plans with loved ones, giving them a slightly unreliable reputation.
Libras are also known to stretch themselves thin when it comes to their personal finances. Although they are usually good at handling money, they are generous people who aren't great at saying no. They enjoy buying meals for other people and donating to causes they care about, which means the details of their monthly bank statement or credit card balance are always a bit of a surprise.
Altruistic Aquarius
As a fixed sign, Aquarius stands firmly in their ideals and believes strongly in following through on their numerous commitments. Their people and causes are important to them, and they refuse to make promises they cannot keep. "Once an Aquarius feels that they're being given the space to be themselves and their mind or curiosity is engaged, they'll be in it for the long haul," astrologer Noush Joon tells Well + Good. They are also intentional about how they expend their energy. This means they tend to stay fresh and avoid making forgetful or careless mistakes.
The natural impulse of Aquarius is to rebel, enact change, break down systemic inefficiency and corruption, and turn the tides for the greater good. However, this tends to mean that Aquarians don't spend time fretting over details. They are big-picture people who dream up concepts and theories without much regard for how exactly those dreams will become a reality. This carelessness, although it comes from a well-meaning place, can have an impact on their productivity and the ultimate success of their long-term goals.
This air sign is also extremely impatient. It is inconceivable to Aquarians that some changes take time to implement, especially considering how quickly their brains think and problem-solve. Furthermore, their actions are instinctual, and their words are often delivered without the benefit of a filter. To those on the receiving end of this aloof, careless behavior, this can sometimes result in hurt feelings or misunderstandings that Aquarians must learn how to correct.
Daydreaming Pisces
Pisces are the creative, go-with-the-flow, emotional anchor of the entire zodiac calendar. These mutable fish possess a fluidity that allows them to effortlessly adapt to whatever life throws their way. "Mutable signs are less rigid in their opinions than fixed signs and less stubborn in their actions than cardinal signs," astrologer Lauren Ash shares with Women's Health. "[They] understand that life is constantly shifting and changing and that many of the things people get worked up about aren't important in the long run."
Most Pisces are also thoughtful creatures who like to spend their free time reflecting on their decisions and the resulting consequences. They spend a lot of time looking inward. They don't make hard and fast rules for their lives either, preferring to drift from person to place to obsession. Pisces is never bored or overly attached to anything, but this means they sometimes struggle to build deep connections with other people.
Pisces can be a little too untethered at times and let this turn into abject carelessness if they aren't careful. They love to daydream. Although their powerful imaginations make them prone to produce gorgeous works of art and music, Pisces tend to struggle with reliability as a result of being willingly trapped inside their own minds. They forget to be in important places at certain times — like work or school — and have to put conscious effort into bringing about structure into their lives.
Emotional Cancer
Water signs are known for being emotional, and Cancer is no exception. However, their fluctuating emotions and unpredictable mood swings can lead to some pretty careless behavior. As astrologer and spiritual healer, Emily Newman explains to Best Life, "Cancer does what its heart tells it to do. [This means they] allow their emotions to lead them to make irresponsible judgments."
Cancer makes snap judgments and rash decisions without carefully considering the consequences. They go with their gut instinct no matter how often it has previously led them astray. They also give themselves permission to feel their feelings and don't pay much attention to how the constant ups and downs wear on their loved ones.
Interestingly, one of Cancer's biggest pet peeves is dealing with thoughtless people. Particularly people who disregard the thoughts and feelings of others. Most Cancers have firsthand experience with being taken advantage of and are wary of fostering deep connections with people who might eventually betray their trust. This fear of vulnerability can also keep Cancers from following through with plans, especially in the initial stages of a relationship.
Restless Gemini
As the embodiment of dark and light, introversion and extroversion, communication and outright action, the complicated Gemini carries conflicting wants and needs within themselves. Sometimes these dual-natured beings are stubborn and shy; other times, they are gregarious and chatty. They can be perceptive one moment and completely oblivious the next.
It can be hard to know what version of a Gemini you might get at any given moment, and they aren't generally super concerned with how those mixed messages affect other people. Gemini also possesses a restless energy that makes them easily distracted. Although they are witty, resourceful, and charming, they lack the ability to laser focus on any one thing for too long, preferring to multitask and move as fast as possible in a thousand different directions.
Unsurprisingly, this leads to a lack of attention to detail. It isn't uncommon for a Gemini to accidentally let important projects and relationships fall through the cracks. Their particular brand of chaos can be too overwhelming for some. Gemini is one of the zodiac signs most likely to gossip, saying accidentally hurtful things and circulating rumors in the name of a good story.
Thrill-seeking Aries
Nothing can stop an Aries on a mission. Not even their own carelessness. Passionate, brave, and headstrong, these astrological rams are definitely not afraid to shoot first and ask questions later. Their inner fire fuels their competitive natures and contributes to their boundless energy levels, both of which cause Aries to thoughtlessly jump headfirst into new challenges or projects.
They get a thrill from taking risks and are known to behave rather recklessly as a result. In fact, Aries is one of the most reckless zodiac signs. They are impulsive and impatient. They make snap decisions that don't always align with their day-to-day responsibilities or work for their partners. "They forget about consistent progress because of their character and can become careless," Emily Newman tells Best Life. "[They] are willing to go to any length to establish [themselves]."
This means they tend to prioritize getting things done fast rather than right. It can also be a challenge to receive feedback from an Aries, especially if you are a more sensitive person. Aries are warm and guileless people who never intend to hurt others' feelings. But they are blunt and outspoken with their opinions and tend to lack tact when offering their criticisms.
Self-absorbed Leo
It's hard not to love Leos for their playful charisma and zest for life, but it can't be denied that Leos are often quite careless. Although they are very confident, take-charge people, self-awareness is not their strong suit. They don't always discern what challenges are wise for them to take and which are okay to let pass by, fearing that if someone else gets the credit for a good idea, their own world will come to a crashing halt.
Leos also tend to be self-absorbed. Like the brilliant sun that rules their sign, they love the spotlight and will do whatever it takes to remain the center of attention. If they feel they aren't receiving the appropriate amount of accolades, their envious hearts may cause them to lash out with moody irritation. Leos always think they know best and will give boatloads of unwanted advice, to the point they can actually end up making problems worse.
More often than not, Leo will spend time talking about their own problems before offering impractical advice that is guaranteed to fail. They tend to dominate conversations in general with topics and perspectives applicable only to their own lives, forgetting that what others have to say is just as valuable. Although Leos can benefit from slowing down, choosing patience, and learning to listen more carefully, they are generous and loyal friends who are worth having by your side.
Careless Sagittarius
Sagittarians are big on personal freedom and indulging in whatever suits their fancy. However, this sign tends to confuse being carefree with complete carelessness. They tend to view responsibility as a suggestion rather than a requirement of being a member of society. The siren song of adventure calls to Sagittarians, which means they can be hard to pin down. Follow-through is also not high on their list of to-dos.
"Inconsistency and restlessness can be an issue for a Sagittarius, which can lead them to jump from one interest to another without committing to anything for an extended time," astrologer Juliana Rose Teal tells Well + Good. It is common for Sagittarians to insert themselves into someone else's problems and offer their two cents, even when it isn't wanted. They often operate from a place of "my way or the highway."
It is never their intention to cause other people unease or pain, and they carry zero malice in their hearts. However, Sagittarians arm themselves with blunt honesty that is offensive more often than it is helpful. They don't shy away from telling people what they really think, and while they might believe they're just being real or aspirational, they would be wise to remember that there is always room for tact and respect.