How do I use the alt left-click shortcut to select an edge loop without making the closest vertex active? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I'm a beginner to Blender.

At 6:55 in Part 1, Level 3 of the Modelling - Blender Beginner Tutorial by Blender Guru, he uses alt left-click to select an edge loop of the coffee cup base. Note he is in edit mode with vertex select set on when he does this. He then scales in the edge loop, which scales in towards the centre equally on all sides.

When I use alt left-click not only does it select the edge loop but it makes the closest vertex or edge (depending on my selection mode) active. So when I scale it in, it scales the selection towards the active vertex/edge, pulling it off centre.

How do use alt left-click to select an edge loop without making the closest vertex/edge active? I could  manually select the loop on the mesh with xray active, however that defeats the ease and convenience of using a shortcut.

I'm using Blender 2.82. This is the tutorial in I'm referencing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a0cHFs7jkw&amp;t=415s
The problem is not that you have an active element, but that the active element is being used as the pivot point for your transformation.

Go to the Pivot Center dropdown in the header of your 3D View, and select 'Median Point'. Then the selected elements will scale about their average location. (My shortcut is keyboard .)