Life as a HSP: 25 Wonderful Aspects of Highly Sensitive People
Highly Sensitive People Matter, Too
It is hard being highly sensitive in a world that has yet to fully understand us. We are often ridiculed and teased for displaying behaviors that represent weakness and lack of confidence in the world of non-sensitive people.
Add to this the mounting problems that humanity is faced with on a daily basis, both socially and economically, and it is easy to see why we might struggle somewhat to adapt to this overwhelmingly intense existence.
We Are Blessed With Many Unique Attributes
In spite of the above, I am thankful I was born this way because there are numerous attributes with which each of us are blessed.
Sure, there are certain aspects of life that we often struggle with, such as public speaking, socializing or performing while under scrutiny, but that's not to say we are unable to do these things. We just have to work harder at it. However, as you are about to see, we people do have a purpose and are sensitive for a reason, not just some random fluke of nature.
The HSP Gift
As an HSP (highly sensitive person), I'm pretty confident those of us who know and understand this trait are aware of Dr. Elaine N. Aron, the HSP who enabled the rest of us to finally understand why we are so different.
Understandably, as a psychologist (which is a perfect career for an HSP), she was curious about her unusually high level of sensitivity to her environment, and so embarked upon a journey to find answers.
The day I was perusing the self-help section in my local bookshop and came across The Highly Sensitive Person, by Dr. Aron, my life finally began to make sense. I was an HSP. Chosen through natural selection to be one of the 15-20% that makes up the HSP population, a selection that occurs in every species! We are:
- Guides
- Counselors
- Teachers
- Artists
- Psychologists
- And so much more...
25 Reasons Why Highly Sensitive People Rock!
1. We Are Able to Sense Emotion in Others
This ability is extremely useful as we are able to help those who are in emotional pain, even when they are attempting to hide their real feelings. On many an occasion I have asked someone, "Are you alright? Is something bothering you?" and they have replied in surprise, "Well... yes. How did you know?"
This means that highly sensitive people make gifted psychologists, counselors and teachers although at first it can be overwhelming due to the bombardment of emotions. Perseverance is another HSP trait, thankfully!
2. Great Parents
As a result of our heightened sense of feeling and emotion, we are in tune with other people's feelings on a much deeper level than most are. This makes us great parents who are able to sense the needs of our children and understand babies when they are in distress.
Babies can sense this in highly sensitive people and consequently are at ease around us, also in part due to our gentle, loving nature.
3. We Experience Incredibly Powerful Love
While in love, there isn't a person alive that does not at once become charged with vital energy that enthuses them with vigor and the power to conquer any obstacle. But when it comes to highly sensitive people, love is incredibly, even stronger.
We experience this sudden rush of energy, yes, but the strength of the feeling involved and all those wonderful little reactions the body goes through are multiplied tenfold! The recipient of this love will be overjoyed at the raw power they are being loved with and the highly sensitive lover will be in heaven.
4. Creativity Abounds
HSPs are extremely creative and sometimes the ideas that pour forth from us are met with surprise because they are so unique and unorthodox.
This is why many of us become artists, teachers and writers. Our creativity knows no bounds!
5. Powerful Intuition
A highly sensitive person's unusually powerful sense of intuition means we literally have six senses rather than the usual five, and this is what makes this trait one of my favorites.
There have been many times when my intuition has saved me from making the wrong decision. It is as if we are able to "feel" our way through life, listening to the signals from our unusually powerful gut instincts that guide us as we go. If nurtured and used correctly, i.e., listened to and not ignored, it can become a powerful gift.
*Isn't it interesting that "gut instinct" refers to the area of the stomach where the central nervous system is—another brain if you will—a brain that feels!
6. A Heightened Sense of Pleasure
We also experience tremble-inducing amounts of pleasure which makes for some amazingly powerful highs throughout life.
Some HSPs become "pleasure junkies" and actively seek out pleasure-giving activities due to the intensity of the feelings they receive while doing something they enjoy. Love-making is out of this world!
7. Super Powerful Senses
Highly sensitive people also have extremely acute senses which, although sometimes overwhelming, can be advantageous in certain careers and positions such as teaching and any career associated with art.
8. Compassionate
Compassion and kindness are two words that are synonymous with HSPs, obviously due to our ability to feel and sense what others may feel or be feeling as a consequence of an action taken. We make great counselors and can sit and listen to others talk of their problems for hours if need be.
*Of course, we do need to recharge more often than others.
9. Hardworking
HSPs are also known to be hardworking and dedicated to our jobs almost to the point of perfectionism which makes us a great addition to any workforce.
10. Imagination
The minds of highly sensitive people are incredibly imaginative and are able to produce extremely vivid and colorful imagery.
This is due to the fact that we can process information more thoroughly, as well as arouse the deep and meaningful feelings required to color each image with a touch of reality.
11. Aware of the Subtleties in Our Surroundings
We can walk into a room and instantly notice the myriad of subtleties contained within, such as the moods of the people in the room, the lighting, smells, crooked pictures on the wall etc.
Yes, of course other people notice these things too, but because we are almost always in fight or flight mode, our senses are always alert and scanning the surrounding area.
12. Able to Predict the Future
We are also gifted at piecing together the future from just a few fragments of evidence. This is an ability that should be utilized more by companies as a well-trained HSP is able to accurately predict the outcome of decisions concerning an area that they are familiar with, especially when in regard to human behavior.
13. Able to Detect Lies
If we were not so easily overwhelmed, we would make excellent detectives, not only because we are highly aware of our surroundings but also because we are able to detect lies.
Highly sensitive people are so in tune with life's rhythm that they are able to detect slight changes in the atmosphere and also notice erratic or suspicious behavior in others. Lie to an HSP at your own peril! :)
14. Conscientious
A highly sensitive person is also very unlikely to harm others or take any action that will cause distress to others.
This is because it is in our nature to carefully and thoughtfully analyze each situation before acting. We know the consequences of our actions before taking them due to our ability to piece together the future.
15. Faster Reflexes
Highly sensitive people also possess incredibly quick reflexes which compliment an already fantastic array of abilities, making us incredibly quick off the mark when it comes to running, walking or anything else that requires a fast start.
At school I was always the fastest runner off the mark. I remember seeing the surprise on the faces of my P.E. teacher and the other supposedly fastest runners in school when I beat them all in my first race against them. Priceless. Not to mention the amount of times I saved point blank shots as a goalkeeper! Thank you very much HSP trait!
16. Process Information More Thoroughly
According to studies done by Dr. Aron on highly sensitive people, our brains process information more thoroughly which is probably why we are able to answer questions before they are asked, or predict the future. A wonderful ability!
*This may make us seem slower to others because we take longer to process but we are by no means less intelligent; far from it!
17. Have an Uncanny Ability to Communicate With Animals
Animals respond to us differently than to non-sensitive people because they perhaps sense our stronger sensibility and compassionate nature.
Cats and dogs are especially susceptible to our charms and behave differently towards us.
18. Can Feel Weather, and Even Predict It
Another useful ability is weather prediction. It's short-term, but prediction nonetheless. The atmosphere changes slightly just before a weather pattern change, and we pick up on it as long as we aren't in a state of overwhelm or stress.
19. Able to Interpret What Is Happening With Non-Speaking Life (Plants, Etc.)
An HSP can also understand non-speaking entities such as animals and even plants which is why many of us love being outdoors in natural areas with few people. In the vicinity of nature we are in close proximity to plants, trees, animals and are able to "feel" the ebb and flow of life.
It can be a highly pleasurable experience to just, for example, lie in a flowery meadow basking in the sun and watching the life all around . . . even the blades of grass swaying in the breeze. Bliss!
Are You a Highly Sensitive Person?
20. Rich Inner Lives
We often retreat into ourselves during those times when we are feeling overwhelmed by over-stimulation. This gives us a chance to be with ourselves spiritually and mentally.
In doing so we are able to know ourselves on a much deeper and meaningful level. Activities such as watching T.V., partying, and going to concerts are usually off-limits to us, leaving lots of time for meditation and contemplation which comes naturally to HSPs.
21. Possess an Enhanced Ability to Recall Dreams
Quite often, highly sensitive people are able to recall dreams. This is due to our brain's ability to process information more thoroughly.
22. Highly Vivid and Emotional Dreams
Another reason we find it easy to recall their dreams is because our dreams are often very life-like and detailed and so are easier to remember due to their sheer complexity.
23. Able to Recall Events and Memories in Vivid Detail
When recalling past events and memories, we are able to almost recreate identically the exact state of mind as well as the main senses stimulated at the actual time of the memory.
This is another of my favorite gifts and is the reason I often daydream despite the fact that I am 32 years old.
24. Love Being Close to Water Such as the Sea, Rivers, and Waterfalls
When we are near the sea or any other natural form of water, we experience feelings of bliss and contentedness.
This must be because of our gentle and passive nature, although we are still capable of showing the other face of water, the raw, unstoppable, powerful force, when pushed too far.
25. Don't Need Stimulants Because We Are Already Highly Alert!
Since we are continuously in fight or flight mode, we have no need of stimulants most of the time, in fact stimulants do more harm than good.
We are already aroused enough as it is without the kick up the backside that coffee gives!
This guide is without a doubt, every highly sensitive person's bible. The book that changed my life.
It's Great to Be a HSP!
So you see. It really is great to be highly sensitive. I listed 25 things but I'm sure there are many many more positive things about being an HSP.
Too many to list!
Thanks for reading!
Peace and blessings to you. :)
Are you highly sensitive? If so, are you happy to be that way?
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.
Questions & Answers
© 2012 Richard J ONeill
Are you a highly sensitive person? What do you think of highly sensitive people?
A very informative and very true article, Richard; this is me for sure. Best wishes, Steve.
We are angels sent by god or other high power to help this world to be better. We have a mission to fix the world by showing our pure soul. We came from heaven that's why we are attracted to the beauity of nature. We miss heaven but we we were sent to this world in order to overcome hell. the other 80% of humanity are more human than us, because we are angels trapped in human bodies. Our hsp souls are connected and all hsp people are soul mates.
I was always pretty sensitive growing up. I finally realized being overly sensitive was making me miserable. Overreacting to things was taking the enjoyment out of life and making me a very unproductive person. I’ve worked long and hard but I am now able to look at things in a more logical way and am not ruled by my emotions anymore. I can honestly say being less sensitive has made me a less stressful and happier person. I think being sensitive is good when it is used to help others but when sensitive people are only sensitive about themselves it is can be a very selfish trait to have. It’s all about balance.
Finding out a few years ago there was a name for my personality trait was a great relief! My life was like a 1000 piece jig-saw puzzle that was missing 10 pieces. Sure I could see what the picture of the puzzle was supposed to be, but I always felt incomplete - something was missing - I felt so different from everybody else! It's hard at times being a HSP but it's also so rewarding!
Very difficult in todays world,when your family quit s
I'm an HSP-and have known it for many years, when I came across Dr Aron's book (don't have a copy now, lent it out and it didn't come back).
The highs are high and the lows are so miserable I just hide under the quilt, recently I'd thought I was bi-polar!!
After coming across this article/ website, I've been reminded (yet again) of my true self-I'm an HSP and I'll stand up loud & proud to be counted as one.
Thank you so very much for reminding me who I am at my very core.
In this crazy fast paced world it really is so easy to forget... I'm me and proud to be at one with my sensitive soul and with my fellow hsp's.
Hells ya highly sensitive but also extroverted at times too, so dont f with me! Kidding. Kind of.
Damn 55 yrs old and thank you Elaine Aron, Judith Orloff MD Richard O'Neill, and others for helping figure this type out.
Water check, snow, mountains check, athletic check, creative check, animals, kids love me check, loud noises suck as do loud people check, hardworking, most have no idea, nor can keep up check
not being full of self, just excited, ah ha moment, epiphany
Not taking so many risks these days so perhaps atypical that way, but prob gonna go climb some more rock.
And Aries fire sign all the way.
Thanks y'all, full force to be reckoned with, but sensitive as...understandably as you know, "toughen up"and "real men dont show emotion" never heard that before
Peace out
Its true but people take advantage of us...
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its awesome being a hsp at we are no less than others and should be thankfull for this gift
That is who I am and comfortable with it...
I am so is my Dad and my 2 sisters and my son. It runs very strong in my family. I've learned to avoid crowds, too much overload, too many emotions going all at once. Careful with what I watch on TV, and confrontations, don't like them at all. Then there are days when everything seems AOK, but I'm feeling anxious, just waiting for the shoe to drop and it always does. I have no complaints, you see, sticking with my "gut feeling", I saved 2 lives, so being gifted in this way, is truly a joyous one!
I was born an hsp and I have had a tough childhood(violence, physical and verbal abuse). The experiences that I went through as a child had given me much pain and suffering for the last 30+ years of my life and countless anti depression medications as well as cousellings. Nothing worked for me. The only question I kept asking myself was " why?". Because an hsp, i couldn't understand how people can be so insensitive when it comes to the well being and happiness of others, why they acted the way they did. Not only until I found the TRUTH of life that everything started to make sense. If you are a parent, all I ask of you is to please love and give all you can to your children, because you are the only safe have that they have and without this haven they are lost in suffering.
Awesome article :) Very close to what I feel and think of myself. This is the encouragement I like to read when few people around me seem to gravitate to the same kind of things: plants, animals, water, peace and quiet.
Highly sensitive people may well tend to be hermits, where their best friend is themselves. Plus as mentioned they find it easier to go within where they can experience a wonderful sense of bliss and may find it easier to tap their creative side and may even have poems come to them which they take down almost like a scribe. Also they come to realize they have a built in how to do it manual, where they can sit at the computer and ask God a question and then take down what is said, and the answers they receive are wonderfully filled with wisdom.
Wow ,I'm 18 ,and I thought I was the only one, I knew something wasn't right with me, in life ur tought as a male to be a MAN ,need to grow up!!as my dad would say,bt i would cry every damn time anyone else does the deeper and better ik the person the worse it is I littraly feel everything they do ,like a tidal wave of emotion came over me!! I typed in my Google search bar copassionite sensitive thinking I'm the only one and that I would find nothing bt I read this and it blew me away !!!!everything was dead on to me ...well us...and this was very hard to deal with when ur on shrooms I balled my eyes out for HOURS when I did them months ago !!and the only thing I can compare it to is ur hole family dieing all at the same time all bt u ,and u feel like ur dieing inside !!!!horable experience wouldn't recommend anyone with this hsp or whatever it is to try it ,unless u think ur ready ik I wasn't at all!!bt I'm glad I'm not the only one that deals wit this.... (it's a bitch and a blessing at the same time ...)
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Highly sensitive people are awesome. They have the ability to bring out emotion in others. People are able to draw from their incredible energy and it lifts them up.
That said sensitive people are also incredible delicate. They can quickly pull you into line if you are doing something that is hurting another person.
Sensitive people have an uncanny sixth sense of things. One of my friends is highly sensitive and they give me advice on things I didn't even realise about myself.
They are seriously attuned to another level. They are great to have around.
Very interesting article! My husband and daughter are both HSP's and I now understand them so much better! I would love to be an HSP for a day just to see what it is like!
Rich, this was an interesting hub to know about HSP people like you. I'm sensitive and shy though. This was a great read and voted up!
You have just explained what has been going on inside my head that I could never put into words...Thankyou.
I've been watching myself being so emotional with strangers and even people I know, where im always in 'flight or fight' mode, watching what I say and being paranoid, loving taking time alone to run through grassy forestry or sitting under a tree with my music, talking with plants and animals, having dejavus, being overstimulated and becoming obsessed with an object or idea.
I always kept on thinking how do people live? How are others so..almost perfect, in the way they can brush off things that make me hot and sweaty under my collar. I always knew I was sensitive; id be told don't be so sensitive when id cry about talking to someone about a job or doing something that was actually good for me. And id feel weak because of it and be hard on myself about how I was alien and not normal. But know that I know about HSP and realised I was this blessing I finally accept and can put into perspective all the things I do without my control. And maybe know I can manage it.
Im real thankful to have found your page and for you to have written this in the shoes of a HSP
Thankyou!
Joliejojo, you are talking about a different kind of sensitive people, and I think you're right about them.
But there is another kind of "sensitivity", the original meaning of the word, which means there are people who digest more information, process more sensory input, and feel deep empathy towards everyone around them.
I don't think that is something to hate.
You make some good points, but you are less knowledgeable than you bring on.
Yes this speaks to me. I have many of these traits. Thanks for this great article.
Hello HSPs!
I want to invite you to visit and to share my www.HighlySensitivePeople.com website and I'd love to put you on my HSP Newsletter, just send me you regular email address. Thank you!
Jim Hallowes, and here's a direct link to sign up, too:
http://www.formstack.com/forms/?1446580-CrLXyzuVuH
And follow me on Twitter: @JimHallowes because I want to follow more folks myself!
Wow, what a fantastic hub! I am just like this, no two ways about it and actually, I'm very pleased to be part of a group of people as described in this article. Loved it!
Brilliant Article! You put my thought in words perfectly..
Since, I've been watching myself as an alien being so emotional with people I don't even know, talking with plants and sea waves, conversing with winds and raindrops, very often dejavus, walking with another world around me, abstract connections, writing so many surrealistic, broken ideas. I kept on thinking how can people be so straight like a line with their lives? Why can't they see what I am seeing? Why can't they feel what I feel? but I ended up focusing on myself and resuming the world on its own.
I am just so much thankful to you for you have reduced the long distance way of HSPs knowing themselves in a more better and productive way by arranging these words with beautiful images..
Hats Off!
Believe it or not this post has helped me physically, mentally and emotionally. I was labeled as "shy" "too sensitive" and i was bullied for this. I am so thankful to have this uniqueness about me, i understand who i am. i am willing to apply this to my everyday life as i move towards my dream of becoming a physican assistant.
Hello Richard,
Thank you for your reply to my post ..... I think??
It is sometimes challenging for me to distinguish between my uncanny ability to read a situation accurately and my oversensitive feelings but I am going to vote that I am not being oversensitive to your post.
It seems to me that you think I am caught in a cycle of complaining in an effort to seek comfort, and that I focus on the negative aspects of being HSP. Plus, that I need to change my self-image and reprogram my subconscious.
Yikes, I guess I am going to have to be more careful in what I write on forums. I thought this was a 'safe' forum - free of assumptions, judgments, and advice. I was merely giving my perspective from my viewpoint, which unlike everyone else on this forum - I personally do NOT think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. I would trade it for another 'gift' like singing or 'leadership' any day of the week. Isn't an honest exchange of different ideas and experiences better than everyone being in agreement that HSP is wonderful? It's not a wonderful life for everyone. Please don't judge people (like me) for having a different viewpoint, but rather accept that is my viewpoint from the vantage point of my life, which you know relatively little about.
I have been wounded, recovered, and still recovering - not by having HSP as you seem to assume - but by living through many crimes committed against me, not one but TWO highly abusive parents, an incestrous grandfather, many great losses, etc. and on top of these events (not perspective), I've had to deal with them through the mind and body of a HSP. This does not make me a wimp. I am not a victim. I don't live in a cycle of unworthiness or complaining.
I merely spoke my truth, and erroneously expected compassion from fellow HSPs, not unsolicited bad advice and assumptions.
I do, however, consider your youthful age. I am a generation older than you and therefore give you lots of leeway in those things you haven't learned yet.
Please consider this. It would be insensitive to tell my black friends who tell me they experience racism (on top of being HSP) - 'don't play the victim card.'
It would be insensitive to tell my friend who is paralyzed from the chest down who has many health issues - 'you need to read a book so you can change your perspective.'
It would be insensitive to tell my best friend who is still grieving the loss of her son from an accidental drug overdose 6 years ago - 'look for the positive, not the negative.'
The following is some general info that we can all learn from whether a HSP or not. These are damaging, not helpful:
Sympathy - "Oh, you poor thing."
One upmanship - "That's nothing. Let me tell you what happened to me."
Unsolicited advice - Never give it because a fool won't heed it and a wise man doesn't need it.
Judgment - "You need to change your perspective" (and all it's varying forms.)
This IS helpful:
Compassion - "I hear you. I get it. I feel with you. I've been there, you are not alone.
It is my sincerest hope that this post adds to the discussion and that you do not feel criticized. That is not my intention, but rather to say and explain that I felt very misunderstood and a bit bashed for expressing my honest, unsappy post.
Thank you for your work in this forum. I appreciate the fact that it is not an easy task.
Most sincerely,
CritterLover
To Richawriter,
I don't know if Joliejojo understands your last post, but I sure did! How well said, how accurate, how respectful. I got every word of it, and it is exactly what I feel and think. Thank you for being such a good spokesman.
To Joliejojo,
I would just like to add that the article points out the positives, the potential, the advantages of HSPs in a world (including HSPs) who typically do not see the positives.
We are not all the greatest parents in the world, for example, or smugly feel like we are. I have two sons. I think being a HSP made me a great parent to one because I was sensitive to his sensitive nature. And, the other had ADD and needed stronger and firmer guidance than I was able to give no matter how hard I tried. This left me feeling like I was not a very good parent to him.
We are all in this thing together. Understanding and compassion go a long way.
I don't know how this article appeared on my computer, but I am glad it did. I read some of Dr. Aron's book but felt discouraged before I got to the good part (assuming there is a good part.) Not a reflection on the book or author, but my life has not been very good (so far) and I attribute being a HSP to much of this.
It is refreshing to read that others are having a wonderful life being a HSP.
My parents, especially my mother, was very emotionally abusive to me as a child and still is (I'm 57). We are now estranged - my choice. I thought I would never survive childhood and it always puzzled me as to how my brother fared so much better. For one thing, he is not a HSP. (for another, he escaped being hated simply for being born female) I've spent most of my life thinking if only I could heal enough from the past, I wouldn't be so sensitive. Wrong. That did nothing to cure my sensitivity.
Thank goodness for this important book. Just KNOWING that I was born this way and that it's not a curse has helped me tremendously.
A problem I have is this vicious cycle: I get very lonely and have few friends and they are busy with their families (my husband committed suicide Oct 2012; he may have been a HSP, too). To combat loneliness, I go out of my way to make friends. People are generally insensitive (from my perspective), so I get hurt right away. I come home and either cry my eyes out, get depressed, or both. Then, I become lonely again. Repeat over and over. Anyone else struggle with this?
Ever the persistent and creative one though, I have a new idea that I have been implementing for 2 wks and it is working fairly well. I approach everyone (except close friends) in scientist-mode (not sweet puppy-dog mode which is my true, open self). As a 'scientist', I keep in mind when I am talking to an acquaintance or new person that my task is to find out who they are. If they are rude or insensitive, I tell myself: They are showing me who they are and I don't really want to be friends with them. That's okay because there are 7 billion people. I have plenty of other choices. This makes it easier to not take their insensitivity personally.
It may not sound like much, but hey, coming from a person who has been suicidal (not currently) for many decades of my life due to the pain of being sensitive in an insensitive world and the pain of my abusive family (past and current) ........it's a big help for me.
Thanks for reading.
I can't stand HSP people. Why? Because you are Hippocrates. You expect everyone around you to walk on egg shells to not upset you, you can't deal with everyday problems like everyone else and that needs to be Accepted. However, you can tell a stronger person they need to be more sensitive? So you never need to be stronger and need to deal with things better, everyone else around needs to change. Also, can you be any more full of yourself? The audacity to say you love stronger and your better parents, along with a host of other things that you are better at because of your lack of dealing with the world around you is nonsense. I'll bet there will be HSP's that will insult my comments, because they are so sensitive. If no one can tell you buck up and deal with the world better, you do not have the right to tell people to be more sensitive. I can also say that as far as parenting goes, we can agree to disagree. An HSP parent can make the child a mess. Very afraid of what's in the world and always confirming what's mean and scary. I know a person that has made their child afraid of the world around them, it's sad. She was smart enough to realize this was not a good thing, she put him in therapy . Has built a great deal of confidence and no longer falls apart as easily when the going gets tough. I find that the HSP is not at all as sensitive to everyone around them only to themselves and what is upsetting to them.
I loved this hub... my brother always gets a ton of grief because he is 6'6, 300 lbs, and basically a huge man. However, he has the heart of a little kid. He is always so sensitive, and I think it makes him a better person. He is actually a teacher who works in special education. His current class is full of emotionally disturbed 3rd graders, and they all really love him. Thanks so much for this list... I'm going to forward this to him :)
i find when trying to relate to other people it sucks being an hsp. i don't think people like me very much or think im phoney. oh well
Very glad for having read your hub. I am so proud to be one of the HSP people. Many difficult things come with it until I started embracing it and loving my uniqueness. Beautiful photos . Thank you for discussing such an important topic.
First of all, THANK YOU for putting HSP in a good spotlight! I am a HSP and all of my life I have been teased and ridiculed for being "too sensitive" to life! UGH! I've always told myself that other people just don't get it.
This is a wonderful hub, very informative and much appreciated! Rock on!
This was so helpful!!! I never knew about this trait until a month ago or so, after I have come home from college for various health reasons. I didn't realize at the time the depth of these physical issues and that there was really more going on. The more and more I started following my instincts and not my bombarding thoughts, the more and more everything started to piece together. Meditating helped a lot, for sure.
There are so many great points in this article! I seriously might show my parents this; they just don't understand me sometimes which I totally understand. But they can't deny that I possess most of these traits. They do know me after all-my tendencies and such; just don't understand why I am like this.
Reading this only helps reassure me that I have this trait. Going through psychotherapy and stuff I've come to my own conclusion that alll of this crap I've gone through is happening for a reason. My therapist even tells me he can tell I have such a strong intuition and inner voice.
I literally could tell stories relating to all of these 25 benefits. But the dreaming I never knew was related to HSP and I was very interested to hear that, because I've always been a vivid dreamer. I keep a journal and write them down. They are so intense and real to me, and I can remember even the tiniest details! It's incredible. I also didn't know about the animal stuff and the perfecct jobs for hsps. I was studying psychology and still want to be some kind of guide/helper to people =] Not sure exactly what yet but. Very interesting.
Fantastic hub, rating up ++++
There are cognitive tools such as CBT that can really help HSP personality types Terry. It can be tough when you always feel misunderstood but training our way of thinking - thoughts control our feelings - does really help.
I've decided i HATE being a HSP at this current time. All it seems to do is bring me pain, neurosis, storms of emotions, an easy target for bullies, nearly every friend I've ever had or Gf has ended up hurting me and they didn't even think they'd hurt me, constant work conflicts because of this stupid fucking sensitivity, addictive behavior to manage the high intensity of emotions, knowing that people are lying etc..even they don't know that you have a 6th sense, falling so deep for people and caring for them and then getting used and manipulated etc wish i was normal!! I feel like 'Cheers God why me??;! :(
Thank you for this. It has helped me to better understand myself, and to feel better about what I had always perceived as a weakness.
Very Informative..:)
Proud to be a HSP..:D
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Beautiful hub. I like the way you have written about the positive attributes of HSP. As a child and younger adult I was told time and time again I was over sensitive. Now having found my place in the world this gift serves me well as a parent, counsellor and coach and in my writing. Thank you
There are two sides of every coin, so to speak. This is sensitivity on the good side, rather than the bad (easily irked, annoyed, given to too much whining, etc.) I like the details you've brought out here. Voted up and interesting, and a following. :)
In all of my 17 years of life, I never fathomed that being extra sensitive could be something someone shared. I thought that I was weak and being dramatic.
after reading all of the posts and replies, I realized that I am not alone.
My childhood is making more sense. Why I have always felt something for the elderly, wanting to listen to their stories and just bring a smile to their faces.
It saddens me, deeply to see someone in pain or suffering...so much so that I would get physically sick whenever I played my brother's fighting video games.
I never truly understood why. why my brother never got sick from killing someone. or why I was usually off on my own as a child, just in deep thought...sometimes over nothing in particular.
When I was younger, I could sense things, when a phone booth was out of order, how a person felt over texting, when my friend was thinking about ending her life.
It's hard to explain to most people. they just think I'm imaginig things. It's good to know I'm sane for the most part. that the pain I feel from those around me isn't all in my head.
That the tears I've cried for so many years due to my mother's pain and suffering were not just because I was weak or needed a "thicker skin"
i am highly sensitive in a manner in which ,i can notice any slide change that cometh my way .
sometimes it cause me lot of tension and struggling in my relationship .
i just wonder what the sensitive person ,full of assumptions.
every sentence of my talking ends with a with,am just assuming.
by abram
Thank you for bringing us highly sensitive people in a good light. Cheers to you! Great hub all around. :)
Hi Rich, this is an awesome hub and one I can totally relate to. I too am a highly sensitive person, and possibly very emphatic. I have experienced so many things in my lifetime and yes it can be hard to deal with. One of the things I have happen a lot is I connect spiritually with people that I have only met via chat or a virtual world such as second Life. (I actually have an article on this). I have connections so powerful that I can speak with people and hold conversations with them over vast distances. I would not give this up for anything as it is a gift form our creator.
Thank you for the awesome article!
This is a great hub. i've given more thought to this since having my daughter. She is 5 and highly sensitive...well, since she was a baby. I often wonder if things get to be too much for her cause little things are big and she has extreme empathy.
I believe I used to be as a kid, but just with life I guess I got less sensitive. I'm sure many HSP turn the opposite direction just to cope.Let's face it the world isn't ideal for us. I'm still very snesitive but have a hard shell now I suppose. I've had to overcome a lot and out of necessity I had to become less sensitive. Honestly I like it better now.
The downside to HSP: A few years ago I got an illness (Rheumatoid Arthritis). This is a physical disability but linked to psychological- taking in too much, taking in the pains of the world around us basically. I believe this too be true. I think HSP have a lot of disadvantages in this world- more illness is one for sure. HSP need outlets, stress relief, and hopefully end up in a job suitable for them. Having got my Pscyology degree, I quickly found out counseling was not a good area for a HSP. I know you mentioned those types of fields but I disagree. I think HSP take it all in and it's been proven that counselors nee to have a degree of sympathy, but need to be able to let that all go. I think once you've heard people's issues and feel deeply for them, it's hard as a HSP to "let it all go". they tend to take it in...which can be too much for HSP. Seriously, try listening to some awful problems all day and still be OK with being highly sensitive. I think HSP are drawn to those fields but not necessarily good for them.
Great topic...voted up and useful.
First of all, I have given this a big thumbs up - very detailed informative writeup that will make sense even to the uninitiated!
I struggled with my sensitivity about thirty years ago - long before I came to know of Dr. Elaine Aaron. I realized that my amazing sensitivity was an asset as well as a curse, because of the suffering I had to undergo on account of all that I would pick up while others around me enjoyed the bliss of ignorance. In that tussle, I concluded that the only way forward would be to become better capable of processing the information. My three years as a counselor and behavioral science facilitator gave me wonderful opportunities to grow and become capable of handling lot of what I was picking up. So as the suffering reduced I found it easier to retain and celebrate my sensitivity. The characteristics mentioned by you fit me to a T - but I was not aware of the linkages until I came across Dr. Elaine's work. I think you are doing a great job by now bringing this to HubPages.
Finally need I add that I am thrilled to meet another HSP?
You are so sweet.
Thank you so much for the kind and encouraging words. I'm sorry if my 2 previous posts sounded negative, I usually try to always see the positive and be upbeat and I practice TM every day to help me cope with being overwhelmed by life.
I'm just going through some tough time right now. But, it will get better, I know. I just have to have patience and faith.
It means a lot that a perfect stranger can be so kind and compassionate......it means more than you know.
YOU are the type of man I would so love love to meet one day.
And yes.....I live in Paradise....beautiful St. Augustine Florida, the oldest city in the U.S. Bought a house on the beach and loving it! I never knew why I was always so drawn to the ocean or why it's where I feel the happiest, but now I know it's because I am a HSP! :)
Bless you Rich
Hi Rich,
Thank you for the encouraging words. I am really having a tough time trying to find the bright side to being a HSP.
Because of being so sensitive, I have never been able to find someone who will try to understand why my feelings get hurt over things they may say or do. It has ruined every relationship I have ever had with a man, because I feel like if they loved me and respected me, that they would try to be more aware of my sensitivity. But instead, I have always been accused of having something wrong with ME. What I try to explain to them, is that, even if they don't think it is something I should be hurt by, the fact is, I AM hurt and that's what should matter if they love me. Not whether they think I have a reason to be. I get so tired of being told to "get over it" and 'toughen up"!
Is it possible to ever find a good relationship with a man who will care enough to try to understand? I feel so disrespected when my feelings are trivialized....which has happened in every relationship I have had. I have never even had a man apologize to me for hurting my feeling because they always think I shouldn't be hurt.....but I AM hurt, and that's what should matter.
I guess this is so close to my heart right now because after getting out of a 30 year marriage with someone who was SO not caring about my feelings, I finally found what I thought was the love of my life, but I just ended that because he constantly hurt my feeling, made me feel bad and then would laugh at me when I tried to explain about how sensitive I am and to please just be aware of it. I am devastated and feeling hopeless that there will ever be a man that would care enough to understand. I just don't get it.....I am attractive, smart, successful, own my own home on the beach in Florida, have lots of friends.....but every relationship with a man ends up the same way.
Please tell me it's possible to find someone who will understand.
Well, I was googling HSP on my phone while at work today and somehow ended up here!
I have always known I way more sensitive than most people, but I only recently discovered the HSP.
Growing up I couldn't understand why everyone else wasn't as sensitive as I was.....and of course, I was labeled shy, etc.
It helps to know there is a reason I am this way, but I wish I could say that I am glad to be HSP. Actually, I really hate it and I am embarrassed for people to know because it's so misunderstood.
I get my feelings hurt all the time and so very easily, especially by those I love the most. I try not to take things personally, but I just don't know how not to.
I get so easily overwhelmed although I am good at hiding it from people. Most people who know me would have no idea. They just think I'm very easy-going and sweet.
Unfortunately, I haven't had people in my life who even TRY to understand it.....my parents and my siblings, while growing up, made me feel like there was something wrong with me.
Then in my adult years, it seems that every relationship I have had with a man (married 3 times) has ended because I am so sensitive and get my feelings hurt so easily and they don't understand it and just finally get tired of dealing with it.
I keep hoping that one day it might be possible to meet someone that is another HSP or at least is willing to try to understand it and not make me feel like I'm the freak.
I'm curious as to how many HSPs are able to have good healthy relationships with a significant other. Are there people that are capable of understanding even if they don't feel the same way?
My last marriage finally ended after almost 30 years, but most of the years were not good and it was largely due to the fact that he was extremely "insensitive" anyway.....even for a "non HSP". Before I knew anything about HSP most everyone in my life close to me, made me feel like there was something wrong with me and I was told the usual things like, "get over it" , "you are being too sensitive", "toughen up".
I really have been trying my whole life to toughen up and not take things so personally, but I haven't been very successful.
I hide it fairly well, but if I get into a relationship, it eventually shows up.
Anyway...didn't mean for this to be such a long comment...it's just nice to find other people who might understand.
Thanks so much for shedding light on this....I am still a work in progress! :)
Hi Rich,
This is such a lovely hub and I learned a few things, too! I am most definitely an HSP, and do believe it is a gift. I did not know that HSP like to have water close by. That is me! I always feel "off" when I am not close to a river or a lake. I love watching the water and walking beside it.
As well, I did not think of my affinity to understand animals as an HSP trait, but I always tell my husband what the cats are thinking and he makes fun of me!
I loved this hub. Voted up, more and shared. Thanks for writing such a sensitive hub.
Being a natural magnetiser and a trained CST therapist I fully agree with Kate Klemer. My passage in the businessworld left me burned-out. Great teaching life gave me!
Hello, I am grateful that I am wired this way as it enhanced my profession as a practitioner of craniosacral and chiropractic.
If I had chosen to be an attorney I would have been plowed over.
I think when you have this gift it is wise to choose a profession where your gift is magnified and appreciated.
This is wonderful! My son and I are both HSP and my husband doesn't understand. I'll have to get him to read this ^_^
AWESOME hub!! I am an HSP and an empath and it can be extremely emotionally draining. My entire life I've been told I'm too emotional and sensitive; and I need to "get over it" (whatever the "it" was.) The question I always wondered was how could I not take things personally when seemingly, I'm identifying with people and things on a highly personal level. I walk into a room and can immediately tell when there's been a confrontation, and when people that I encounter have been having an "off" day. My natural tendency is to want to swoop in and hug them. (I'm not a fan of having security called on me, so I refrain. LOL)
Thank you for writing this hub and for re-assuring me that not only am I not alone, but for reminding me of the beautiful side of the gifts I've been given. Blessings.
In Elaine Aarons work she makes the comment that HSP's fill a role in society that no one else can fill. We MUST find Peace w/ our createdness & unique giftedness & live into it FULLY or the world will suffer even more. We are not saviors but we CAN be healers, peacemakers, visionaries, & as Dr Aron says, "...prophets, priests, & judges" at a crucial time in both our nations story AND the worlds ! Press ahead fellow HSP's & forgive those who cannot or will not honor your gifts. They simply do not understand. Blessings & Joy as you find your place & fill it well !!!!!
It's not good to be sensitive - it's GREAT to be sensitive! Ok, perhaps I'm exaggerating or even delusional because as most, if not all us HSP's know, it can be challenging. Yet I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm grateful for this gift despite being mocked and shamed. Thank you for being reminded and validated of how blessed we HSP's are, regardless if the majority see it differently. Much blessings, Love & Light, Peace & Joy, Namaste!
Yes, I must agree with the commenter before me-It is possible to become a public speaker . Probably because I was a teacher, I am able to do public speaking without a problem. But it takes practice just like anything else .
I am HSP and I can tell everyone that this article is spot on! It took me years of therapy to come to all these conclusions about myself, but I definitely know who I am now, and I wouldn't want to be anyone or anything different. We do experience the world with heightened awareness, more intensity, and more compassion. I was a teacher for 30 years before retiring, and I was certainly in the right profession, and it was such a rewarding experience. HSP cannot develop a "thicker skin" which everyone in the world tells this type of person they must do. We have to develop strategies to combat the desensitive people of the world. Thank you for writing a vital article about this and bringing greater awareness to those who are HSP.
Rich, thank you so much for reminding us HSPs of our unique abilities and qualities which we often take for granted. I just had a dream this morning that gave me guidance on a TV show I need to stop watching.
I will say, though, that HSPs CAN learn to become great public speakers and have excellent social skills, as I've come to discover over the years. I actually enjoy public speaking (which I used to be deathly afraid of) and interacting socially, as long as I can participate in these activities in small doses and have sufficient "down time" afterwards. So it's not impossible.
That said, this is an excellent hub, well worth sharing. Voted up, useful, and interesting.
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