Do you care about the little things more than others? Do you always think about how people around you feel? Do you prefer a quiet and peaceful environment?
If all of the above is about you, you are very sensitive. This character trait was first explored in the early 1990s. It is believed that every fifth person in the world is hypersensitive. There are many books on this topic. One of them describes habits of highly sensitive people. Find out if this character trait is inherent in you.
How highly sensitive people behave
- Sensitive people delve into the nature of things
They feel everything much stronger than those around them. Emotional people try to think a lot about what is happening and delve into the very essence of things. Often they even go too far. - They are more emotional
Another distinguishing feature of the character of such people is that they react much more strongly than others to any situation. They will be very worried about their friends if they have problems. - They are often asked why they are so sensitive
In different countries, excessive sensitivity is accepted either as a negative or as a positive trait. A survey was conducted and it turned out that sensitive people from Thailand were teased much less in childhood than those in North America. - They prefer to exercise alone
Very sensitive people often avoid team sports. They prefer cycling, running and other individual sports.
- They need more time to make decisions
Sensitive people need a lot of time to make decisions, even if there is no wrong choice. For example, they will take a very long time to choose which ice cream to buy. - It is even more difficult for them to make decisions where there is a wrong option.
All people are afraid of making the wrong choice. In sensitive people, this fear is much stronger, because they take everything much closer to their hearts. - They are very fixated on details.
They notice all the details and the smallest changes in their environment. - Not all of them are introverts
About 30% of sensitive people are extroverts by nature. This largely depends on the society in which they were brought up. - They work well in a team
These people, thanks to their deep thoughts, can be very useful members in any team. They will analyze and think through everything to the smallest detail.
- They are more prone to depression
Sensitive people often loosen their nervous system with excessive emotionality, which often leads to nervous breakdowns and depression. - They are irritable
There are many different things that annoy ordinary people. These same things annoy sensitive people a lot more. - Horror movies are the scariest
They even take what is happening in the film too close to their hearts and empathize with the characters.
- It's easy to make them cry
Therefore, close people should treat them with understanding and try not to hurt their feelings. - They have good manners
Highly sensitive people have a well-developed conscience. They are very attentive and punctual. - They take criticism hard
Any criticism of such people brings a lot of unrest. Therefore, you need to carefully choose the words in a conversation with them.
excessive sensitivity- not a bad character trait at all. Such people are very kind by nature and will never refuse in trouble. They will go out of their way to help you solve your problems. So be a little gentle with them. Try not to touch them and so aggravated
What if any unfamiliar situation causes you great excitement? What if a half-hour buffet leads to an unbearable desire for privacy, as a "social hangover" inevitably sets in? Perhaps you are one of the orchid people.
A little theory: The phenomenon of hypersensitivity was first described by Elaine Eyron, an American psychotherapist. Before her, all orchid people were mistakenly classified as either introverts or simply nervous or even neurotic people. Hypersensitivity has nothing to do with diseases and deviations! Of course, introversion is found in most orchid people, but there are also extroverts among them.
I will make a reservation that this is not a scientific work and I did not conduct research. What is written here is the result of observations of myself and others like me, and I was inspired by Elaine Ayron's book "The Hypersensitive Nature".
Who are these orchid people?
You can safely classify yourself as one of these 25% subtle natures if you have most of the following signs:
1. High susceptibility to external stimuli and strong excitability of the nervous system
2. Caution and even slowness in making decisions
3. A tendency to deeply analyze one's actions and the events taking place around
4. Increased attention to subtle details and subtle trends
5. High susceptibility to the emotions of other people (high empathy, pity for the weaker), as well as avoidance of conflicts
6. Loss of concentration and confusion in a situation of assessment and observation by other people
7. Developed intuition, propensity for foresight
8. Right-brain thinking, good creativity
9. Introversion (about 70% of orchid people are introverts), avoidance of publicity and a wide range of communication
10. Propensity for constant learning, the desire for self-improvement
11. Increased vulnerability and a tendency to more pronounced physical discomfort, that is, they suffer more from pain, tolerate hunger worse
12. Higher susceptibility to drug treatment, caffeine
Now we will analyze in more detail the main features of orchid people, and how they manifest themselves at work, in communication with colleagues.
1. High susceptibility to external stimuli and strong excitability of the nervous system
Details:
Perhaps this is the most striking and defining feature of orchid people. If we take beads as a metaphorical image, then this feature is a thread, and all
the rest are beads, which without a thread could not make beads.
The reaction of highly sensitive people to any, even a minor stimulus, is stronger than most people. The reaction to unexpected and unfamiliar stimuli is especially strong. For example, the unexpected sound of breaking glass or someone's shout will make you shudder, gasp and your heart will beat strongly. Strong irritants completely stun you and cause a stupor reaction, a desire to retire as soon as possible. Therefore, orchid people, due to their increased emotionality, try to avoid:
Crowded traffic during rush hour
Meetings with large crowds
Buffets and noisy parties
Long noisy lines
Traffic jams (by the way, orchid people know better than others how to avoid traffic jams;)
Cause:
The nervous system of orchid people is tuned to a higher susceptibility to minor stimuli. This, in turn, implies a more detailed processing of information entering the brain. As a result, the overload of the nervous system is greater than in most people. From here - fatigue sets in faster, with strong irritants - fatigue is completely deafening.
Manifestation in the business environment:
Orchid people are extremely uncomfortable in large and noisy meetings. In order not to aggravate your internal tension and not to force
their heart beat even faster, prefer to remain silent. They definitely don't like open-space offices.
Of course, I don't like to work on weekends, but if you have to go out, the bonus is the opportunity to sit in an empty office with dimmed lights! My work is in full swing in such an environment!
2. Caution and slowness in making decisions
Details:
Orchid people prefer to think through all the possible consequences of any action, which takes a lot of time. But their decisions are often successful,
because they were based on collecting a large number of facts and considering all possible options.
Cause:
Your brain is always striving for careful and deep processing of information, and this takes much more time.
Manifestation in the business environment:
Such people work on the principle of "measure seven times, cut once." A job in which you need to make decisions quickly causes the strongest
stress.
3. The tendency to constantly analyze their actions and the events taking place around them
Details:
Orchid people are prone to prolonged reflection and introspection. Surrounding it can be perceived as wandering in the clouds and counting crows;).
Constant internal dialogue can lead to absent-mindedness and some awkwardness in actions. But precisely because of this inner work
orchid people are more often endowed with worldly wisdom, they are more often reasonable and prudent in their actions, more often they become truly mature people.
Cause:
All the same tendency to constantly process incoming information.
Manifestation in the business environment:
When discussing some new information, a hypersensitive employee may seem to have a poor grasp of what is happening. But thanks to his penchant for analysis, he subsequently comes to an even deeper understanding of the details and nuances than others.
She herself noticed the following: when I learn something new in large quantities, there is confusion and chaos in my head. But I already know that the brain is semiconsciously processing what it has learned. And the next day or week (depending on the complexity of the task or information) comes SUCH clarity and understanding, which at first I never dreamed of! The expression "Morning is wiser than evening" is exactly about orchid people!
4. Increased attention to subtle details and trends
Details:
From a highly sensitive nature, you are more likely to hear the phrase "Something is wrong here ..." It is the orchid people who will be the first to pay attention to subtle changes in the usual course of things. Whether it will be a false alarm or the beginning of an impending disaster is already a matter of time. But in any case, it will be wise for other people to listen to them. Perhaps, when the tsunami approached in Thailand, the orchid people were the first to pay attention to the animals running away from the shore, and even more so did not rush to collect shells on the exposed shore before the arrival of a big wave ...
Cause:
High susceptibility to minor stimuli is combined with increased attention to detail. The nervous system of orchid people, figuratively speaking, wears glasses with magnifying glasses: they help to see details better, but the incoming light from the lenses burns more. Nature has given us such lenses so that we can see the approaching danger in advance and warn our fellow tribesmen. A separate post on my website is devoted to the benefits of orchid people for the rest of the community.
Manifestation in the business environment:
You are the one who can alert your boss or your colleagues to a problem before it gets worse. You are the one who first notices the subtle
changes in the market and warn others about it. You may have a reputation for exaggerating danger all the time. But rather in you
appreciate this insight.
I tried to show most of the characteristic features of orchid people as advantages and strengths. Believe me, I was not afraid to go too far, since such people are rarely prone to inflated self-esteem, and such praises against them will not lead to narcissism.
- Psychology: personality and business
Keywords:
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Hypersensitivity
Hyperesthesia significantly expands the perception of the world and sharpens sensitivity. Such people are hypersensitive to light, sound, heat, cold and, especially, to excessive excitement. Often, for no apparent reason, they can scream: “Yes, turn off this TV! Nothing to watch!" Or: “Can someone close the window?”
Due to the subtlety of feelings, a person with hyperesthesia captures a lot of details, usually not noticeable to others. Tears of emotion can often be seen in their eyes, they quickly become irritated in stressful situations and, at the slightest injustice, rush into battle. They are sensitive to the tone, words, facial expressions, and gestures of the speaker. Because of this, they need clarifications. In their understanding, one word is not always synonymous with another, because each has its own shades. That is why they so often find fault with words.
People with hyperesthesia are very touchy, they are easily offended by any criticism, reproaches, ridicule, and if the interlocutor has some kind of ulterior motive, they will instinctively guess it.
It is very unpleasant when you receive a lot of information and at the same time come across a misunderstanding of loved ones who did not notice this. “No, you’re making everything up!” is the most common and offensive phrase that ultra-efficient people often hear as soon as they begin to share their impressions with someone.
The level of their interests, the quality of attention and the ability to feel involved in the world around them are directly proportional to their hyperesthesia.
In one interview, Amélie Nothombe explained to an intrigued journalist that she felt guilty for every catastrophe happening in the world. “As soon as there is an earthquake, war or famine, I get the impression that it is because of me, that it is also my fault.”
That is, any information deeply touches people with a super-efficient mind, because they feel part of the existing world. Like Amelie Nothombe, super-efficient people often take responsibility for everything bad that happens in the world, and also reproach themselves for being passive. As we will learn later, the thoughts of the super efficient are controlled by the right hemisphere. It is known that the right hemisphere is responsible for emotions and feelings. It can even be said that all information passes through the soul before reaching the brain. And if so, it is almost impossible to remain rational and cold. Emotions sweep over sensitive people like a sudden storm. Their mood is constantly changing, as if they are rushing on a roller coaster: sometimes they are overwhelmed by bouts of anger and rage, then there is a feeling of anxiety, then depression suddenly rolls over. But in the same way, they can be inspired, take off on a wave of euphoria and feel unspeakable joy.
This hypersensitivity creates many problems. To the feeling of one's own helplessness when it is necessary to control the situation, a misunderstanding of one's own mechanisms and disapproval from others is added. Because in our society, sensitive and emotional people are often considered weak, immature and impulsive, and therefore naive, stupid and reckless. Psychology immediately put a label on them, calling them "people in the borderline state."
If you belong to this group of people, sensitive and emotional, then you know all this very well! People around you incessantly read morals to you and grumble, as if they were small children: “It's just stupid to cry or be indignant because of such nonsense. You don't have to take everything to heart. You have to be more flexible." In general, if you listen to these notations, criticisms and advice, which are endlessly poured out on hypersensitive people, you might think that in any life situation you must remain indifferent, indifferent and insensitive. So, is this the only solution to the problem?
Until quite recently, it was thought so. Only rational thinking, logic and dispassion were accepted as correct and reasonable. Emotions, on the other hand, were considered our enemies: they confuse and prevent us from making the right decision. Fortunately, recently a different opinion has appeared: we began to notice that emotions occupy an important place in the process of thinking and in decision-making. It is now customary to use the term EC (emotional quotient) to refer to this emotional mind. This EC shows the ability of the individual to control their impulses, individual motivation, empathy and the ability to find mutual understanding with other people. The super-efficient have a huge emotional potential, it not only fills them, but overflows, and they still do not know how to use it.
Of course, hypersensitive people, constantly experiencing condemnation, listening to criticism and forced to be ashamed of themselves, have formed the most unfavorable opinion of themselves. In the meantime, let's try to imagine a world devoid of this hypersensitivity. No creativity, no empathy, no humor. The population, rational and able to exercise self-control, lives without the slightest warm human feelings. What will happen to humanity that is not able to resent, rebel and, most importantly, fall into enthusiasm, even stupid, but so contagious? Hypersensitivity is the real shadow power. Hypersensitivity is part of everything. If you are hypersensitive, then you are probably benevolent, altruistic and very cordial with those with whom you associate. But in relation to yourself, you are demanding and at any moment are ready to back down and laugh at yourself. The strength of your mind is openness, curiosity, sense of humor and innocence, lively and creative. And finally, your sense of fairness, directness, integrity and sincerity are second to none. The sooner you accept yourself for who you are, the better you will be able to use this incredible sensitivity. Because the key to using your own EC effectively is knowing yourself. As you understand yourself, you will understand and come to terms with your emotional storms. Your emotions will become your friends and guides.
This text is an introductory piece.Text: Grisha Prophets
Highly sensitive people, or highly sensitive people, especially susceptible to external stimulation, the emotions of others, and in general the details of the world around them. We tell you who they are and how to understand if you are one of them.
Who are highly sensitive people?
Highly sensitive people (we will call them highly sensitive people), or HSP, or HSP are people who react more intensely than others to the world around them. Both positive and negative information are processed more attentively by such people, so they can be overwhelmed and overwhelmed by external stimuli - when they are too much or they are too intense. Such people pay a lot of attention to all sensations: tastes, touches, sounds and smells. They are especially sensitive to emotions, their own and others. The press calls them new introverts: highly sensitive people have been especially written about lately, although the phenomenon was defined back in the mid-90s.
Who introduced this concept?
Psychologist Elaine N. Aron identified highly sensitive people for the first time
in his book The Highly Sensitive Person, published in 1996. Aron lived in San Francisco and began studying HSP with her husband Arthur in 1991. Aron describes HSPs as those who are "increasedly sensitive to stimulation" and who are "more aware of details and nuances and process information more deeply, more reflectively than others." Aron believed that Carl Jung, Emily Dickinson, and Rainer Maria Rilke were highly sensitive people and that they generally "are usually poets, writers, teachers, doctors, scientists, and philosophers." It is believed that 20% of the world's population are highly sensitive people.
Why are they suddenly talking about?
The term and Aron's book didn't just lie in oblivion, no - other researchers wrote about HSPs, and scientific articles were published about them, but it was in recent years that the media paid special attention to them. The Huffington Post wrote about how highly sensitive people interact with the world differently, The Wall Street Journal wrote about the phenomenon, even Scientific American remembered Aron and her ideas. In the scientific world, interest in them is also increasing: for example, the first conference dedicated to high sensitivity was held in Brussels. A documentary film called “Sensitive” is being released about the HSP phenomenon, in which, for example, singer Alanis Morissette, who considers herself a highly sensitive person, starred.
Why single out highly sensitive people when introverts already exist?
Because this is a psychological - and neurobiological - category of people according to completely different indicators. Aron developed a 27-point sensitivity scale to highlight HSPs; and, as with introverts, it's not just a binary system, you're not just either a highly sensitive person or not, there is a gradation here. If introverts are primarily defined by their relationships with other people, highly sensitive people are generally defined by their relationship to the world. However, like introverts, HSPs may like to be alone to give their brain a break from stimulation. For example, if you often cry at the cinema, or you are annoyed by strong smells, or you are imbued with the emotions of other people at the most unexpected moments. And this is important to study: because if you understand that you are a highly sensitive person, you can better arrange your life, for example, try to work in quiet and calm places.
Do HSPs really exist?
Oh sure. They are distinguished by many psychologists and neuroscientists. Hundreds of studies have been devoted to high sensitivity, from brain scans to genetic analyses. Research into the brains of HSPs shows that their brain processes are different from those of other people: HSPs are more empathetic, more aware of their surroundings, and more understanding of other people. The catch is that, of course, there is a trap here, as with introverts: after the word and idea became popular, many began to call themselves highly sensitive people, even those who technically do not belong to them. Everyone wants to consider themselves special, so I want to believe that we understand the world around us deeper and more subtle than others.
Do people say that you are too emotional and take everything to heart? You don't have to think that something is wrong with you. Perhaps you are one of those who are called "hypersensitive". The thing is that this is your personal perception of reality and it’s hard for you to live differently. In psychology, this phenomenon is considered quite normal and there are characteristic signs that help identify hypersensitive people.
1. 100% sensitivity
Perhaps this is the most important distinguishing feature of such people. Their brain works differently and seems to catch all the sensitive waves. That is why they take all the information very seriously and, as it were, pass it completely through themselves. The emotions of such people are very vivid and almost palpable.
2. High level of intuition
Often, hypersensitive people can determine that something is wrong with their loved ones. It is impossible to hide their feelings from them. They seem to read right through people. This is because their sensitive channel is very well tuned and is able to catch any, even minimal, changes.
3. Independence
Hypersensitive people do not like team activities. They study/work best when they are alone. They are able to quickly figure out something new on their own.
4. Flattery for good
To be honest, this can hardly be called flattery, but such people have an important point - they always want everyone to like it. But this is not because they have high self-esteem. The thing is, they want everyone around to feel good. They are afraid to imagine that they can hurt someone. Negative emotions destroy their sensitivity. That is why they are very courteous with everyone and often help people.
5. Observation
The brain of hypersensitive people works like a scanner. He reads all the information, notices even minor nuances, which, by the way, are important in their lives. Such people cannot be deceived, as they will easily feel fake emotions.
6. Perfectionism
Someone might think that this is too much, but such is the nature of hypersensitive people. Perfectionism literally flows in their veins and makes them do everything perfectly. For them, this is important, as they are trying to maintain a balance in life, as well as avoid destruction of any kind.
7. Emotions in the palm of your hand
The level of sensitivity of such people is so great that it is difficult for them, and sometimes they don’t even want to, restrain themselves. If such a person wants to cry, he will do it. Hypersensitive people consider it natural and are not ashamed of their reactions.
Hardly anyone likes to be yelled at at all. In the case of hypersensitive people, everything is more cardinal - they cannot stand it. Harsh sounds generally scare them. They prefer tranquility. Screaming only blocks the perception of the situation.
9. Endless creativity
Such people are constantly in a creative storm. They receive so much information that they instantly transform it into some kind of creative process. What's more, hypersensitive people's brains can work on multiple levels at once, which is why they often become addicted to more than one thing.
10. Ahead of all
For hypersensitive people, "trends" is just a word. The fact is that their level of sensitivity allows them to anticipate trends. Intuition helps them to be ahead of everyone. That is why many cannot fully appreciate their tastes, and sometimes they do not understand at all. Of course, until they themselves fall under the wave of “trends”. Meanwhile, hypersensitive people are already opening new doors.