They are able to reflect on their emotions and articulate their thoughts and feelings in sophisticated ways. Because highly sensitive people tend to have advanced emotional skills, they are more likely to be effective in their lives because they can control, understand, and use their emotions productively.
The truth is that high sensitivity gives us the ability to be strong, capable and thriving, even in the face of adversity. In fact, the very traits that make us highly sensitive are the qualities that can give us enormous inner strength.
Most highly sensitive people display rare strengths in key areas of emotional intelligence, also known as emotional quotient (EQ) — the ability to recognize and understand emotions in themselves and others. These strengths including self-awareness and social-awareness.
The truth is that our sensitivity allows us to be strong and capable and even thrive while faced with setbacks. The same traits that make us sensitive are the same traits that give us tremendous inner strength.
Biologists believe there's a good reason for that: being highly sensitive can be an evolutionary advantage. In fact, sensitive people (and animals!) are able to pick up on more environmental cues, recognize things that others don't, and make smart decisions in seemingly new or unusual situations.
Highly sensitive people may be more affected by certain situations such as tension, violence, and conflict, which may lead them to avoid things that make them feel uncomfortable. You might be highly touched by beauty or emotionality. Highly sensitive people tend to feel deeply moved by the beauty they see around them.
Albert Einstein, Nicole Kidman, Jim Hallowes (founder of HighlySensitivePeople.com), Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Judy Garland and Martin Luther King Jr are some famous personalities known as highly sensitive people (HSP).
Gifted people are usually also highly sensitive and intense. They are more aware of subtleties; their brain processes information and reflects on it more deeply. At their best, they can be exceptionally perceptive, intuitive, and keenly observant of the subtleties of the environment.
In fact, the leading expert on sensitivity, clinical psychologist Elaine Aron, PhD, reported, in her original research in 1997, that 70 percent of highly sensitive people are also socially introverted, says Dr.
The positive traits of people that are highly sensitive include emotional awareness, empathy for others, the ability to pick up on small cues that others miss, dedication to fairness and justice, passionate and innovative thinking, and an ability to demonstrate good leadership through valuing others.
Living with High Sensitivity
HSPs may struggle to adapt to new circumstances, may demonstrate seemingly inappropriate emotional responses in social situations, and may easily become uncomfortable in response to light, sound, or certain physical sensations.
It is believed that HSPs are not rare, and that about 15-20% of the population are thought to be an HSP. There are also thought to be no significant differences in sex, with equal numbers of males and females being an HSP. Being an HSP is an innate trait, with biologists finding high sensitivity in over 100 species.
#1 You stay angry or hurt longer than others
Fortunately, the hurt feelings tend to pass quickly. If you're a highly sensitive person, however, you may not get over these things so easily. Observing the behavior of others involved, you'll likely notice that they get over disagreement more rapidly than you do.
In 2015, clinical psychologist Elke van Hoof did research on high sensitivity and looked at a possible link with giftedness. She discovered that 87% of gifted people are also highly sensitive.
Alternatively, a person who is sensitive in a temperamental way is usually defensive regarding threats to his or her ego. Hypervigilant about protecting his or her self-esteem, this person often, unconsciously, deflects accountability, and unfairly projects blame onto others to escape internal discomfort.
HSPs like to handle their emotions in silence.
Highly sensitive people don't like the thought of burdening others with their problems. Because we can feel others' emotions and pain, we know how heavy it can feel. We often prefer to handle things alone because we must process them before verbalizing them.
Most HSPs are either INFJs or INFPs — the ones that don't tend to be ENFJs or ENFPs. Whether you're one or both, it's important to know what stresses you, what overstimulates you and what makes you feel calm, relaxed and happy.
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships. The good news is that highly sensitive people aren't more or less emotionally intelligent than others.
Highly sensitive people's brains are wired differently, and they process information and make decisions differently. Decision fatigue can affect anyone especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but highly sensitive people feel that exhaustion more intensely.
HSPs have a variant of the serotonin transporter encoding gene, known as 5-HTTLPR. The 5-HTTLPR gene variant decreases serotonin in the brain and increases sensitivity to surroundings. The HS brain may have less mood-stabilizing serotonin than the non-HS brain, but it has an enhanced ability to learn from experience.
Serotonin Transporter and Highly Sensitive People:
HSPs have a variant of this gene (officially called 5-HTTLPR). The 5-HTTLPR gene variant increases sensitivity to surroundings and is associated with learning from experience. The presence of the gene enhances the effects of both good and adverse childhood experiences.
It is important to note that many highly sensitive people are not narcissistic. Highly sensitive people are often aware, empathetic, and excellent listeners, which are the antithesis of narcissism.
They have a hard time with conflict and tend to avoid confrontation. This can be challenging in the workplace or at home. They also feel responsible for others' expectations, which makes it harder to let people down. HSPS can overcome many of these downsides through therapy and learning to be more assertive.