Power Through Empathy - A Look into the Mind of an HSP
It was around 1 pm on a Saturday when I heard my phone chime with an incoming text. My mom had sent me a link to an article. Intrigued, I opened it to read, “If you’re a highly sensitive person, here’s how to transform your ‘overwhelm’ into gentle power.”
I had never heard of the term “highly sensitive person” or its abbreviated form “HSP” before, so I clicked on the article, intrigued. Apparently, in my mom’s words “this describes our family perfectly!” According to the article she sent me by Good News Network, “15-20% of the population is made up of HSPs.” Despite connotations of sensitive people being overly emotional, HSPs are normal humans—it is not considered a disease or disorder. HSPs are more overwhelmed by the world around them, but they are also incredibly creative and empathetic as they feel emotions deeply. Also, the term HSP isn’t a fancier term to describe introverts; in fact, 30% of HSPs are extroverts! In addition, 50% of HSPs are men, though the stereotype in our society that makes us believe that men can’t show emotion, that they can’t be sensitive because that makes them weaker or less masculine, means sensitivity is typically associated with females instead of males. Being a highly sensitive person does not make you weak or fragile—it just means you feel emotion to a greater degree, which can actually benefit you in many situations.
As mentioned before, HSPs feel emotion deeply. This means that they feel emotions with a greater intensity than others. While this may be seen as a negative trait, it’s actually a really good thing. HSPs get to experience the little things in life to a greater degree. They are also incredibly perceptive about their surroundings and the people around them. Being able to feel emotion at a more intense level allows HSPs to be extremely empathetic—they are able to connect and understand other people’s troubles. These are just a few benefits of being or having friends who are highly sensitive people.
The highly sensitive person is viewed in different ways in many different cultures. For example, in America, HSPs are found to label themselves more negatively, using terms such as “inhibited” meaning unable to relax because of self-consciousness. There are also studies showing that male HSPs have a harder time than women because of an American expectation of what it means to be a man, which can lead to isolation and insecurity. On the contrary, certain cultures in China find that children more often approach the more shy or sensitive children. In one study, the children who were more sensitive and shy were seen as well-behaved. However, it is important to keep in mind that this is a generalization of these cultures, and attitudes towards the highly sensitive person can differ.
So how do you know if you’re an HSP? After reading the first article, I became even more intrigued and started looking into the term more thoroughly. I realized pretty quickly that the term HSP is a perfect fit for me. To those who know me, you know that I get overwhelmed in social situations quite easily. HSPs also hate conflict—they’ll avoid it in any way possible. They need downtime by themselves to recharge after a long day. They are empathic and are pretty good at reading the emotions in the room. They are also very creative and imaginative.
I think the most important thing to highlight about being an HSP is that it is in no way a bad thing. Sometimes, there is a negative connotation to those who are more emotional or sensitive. But in reality, these shouldn’t be perceived as negative traits. For example, being able to read the emotions or mood of the room can allow a person to pick up on subtleties like body language and facial expressions. I think it’s in our human nature to be empathic and sensitive to those around us, and HSPs have a heightened sensitivity. If you want to know more about the highly sensitive person, Elena Herdieckerhoff has a really interesting TED Talk called “The Gentle Power of Highly Sensitive People”; I recommend it! (The link is right below!)
https://youtu.be/pi4JOlMSWjo