How sensitive people interact differently with the world

Highly sensitive people have been given many labels in the past – they have been described as fragile, overly emotional or intense. But the highly sensitive person is much more than tears and feelings galore.

People with empathetic personalities are biologically conditioned to behave as they do. So your approach to the surrounding physical environment is totally different, and that’s not necessarily a negative thing.

Below are some ways in which highly sensitive people interact with the world around them differently than their more “thick-skinned” counterparts.

The surrounding environment can easily be overstimulating for a highly sensitive person.

Loud noise, lots of people around, important decisions to make – all of this is difficult for a PAS to bear, especially if he has little time of calm and solitude to recover. That’s because the emotional response of PAS is so active, says Elaine Aron, author of Use Sensitivity to Your Favor – Highly Sensitive People and one of the first scientific researchers to look into this personality trait.

“That’s because PAS processes everything around it in such depth,” Aron told the Huffington Post. PSAs process their surroundings and life events based on their emotions. Thus, the more intense and overwhelming the circumstances, the more deeply they feel.

PSA captures the subtleties present in the environment where they are.

Have you moved things around in your living room? Did your wife say something hurtful at dinner? Sensitive people pick up on many subtle nuances, says Aron, whether they’re concrete things or emotional moods. “There’s an intuition about their surroundings, about things that other people are often unaware of,” she explained.

This intuition also guides them in their own relationships. PSAs capture different attitudes that may go unnoticed by others. If you change your tone of voice or send a text message in a shorter and thicker tone than usual (for example, using periods instead of exclamation points), the highly sensitive person is likely to notice.

PSAs are more emotional in their relationships.

Highly sensitive people want and need deep relationships. Aron’s research has shown that sensitive people tend to be more bored in marriage, mainly because, over time, the deep interaction between the couple can surrender to routine. But this is not necessarily negative. Aron says a lack of meaningful interactions doesn’t necessarily mean a PAS will jump ship – it will just motivate them to seek out more nurturing conversations.

For a highly sensitive person, the key to a successful relationship is communicating what you want from the relationship and finding a partner who understands that your emotions are part of your nature. “Sensitive people can’t help but express what they feel,” says Aron. “They show their anger, they show their happiness. It is critical that your partner appreciates that.”

Sometimes the highly sensitive person prefers to fly solo.
PASs work best in quieter environments, especially in the workplace, says Aron. “Open plan offices are often not productive environments for them”, explains the psychologist. This preference for operating alone can also apply to leisure activities outside the office. Ted Zeff, a researcher and author of several books on the characteristics of the highly sensitive personality, previously told HuffPost that PSAs often also avoid sports or group activities because they feel like their every move is being watched.

PSAs may be more sensitive to caffeine and alcohol.

That’s not always the case, to be sure, but Aron says the self-tests she ran in her research indicate that, on average, PASs may be more sensitive to stimulants like caffeine and substances like alcohol. And hunger also bothers them more.
Conflicts or disagreements make them anxious.

PASs have a hard time dealing with conflicts and disagreements, says Aron. They have two approaches to these situations, and one is at war with the other. “Sensitive people feel torn between standing up for what they see as fair or refraining from intervening because they don’t want to provoke a violent reaction from others,” Aron said. “They are very sensitive to environments where they are judged on their sensitivity or anything else.”

Highly sensitive people, on the other hand, have a gift for dealing rationally with disagreements. Thanks to their high levels of empathy, they are able to put themselves in the other person’s shoes and see their side of the argument, explained Aron.

Ultimately, what the sensitive person needs to do is embrace this personality trait and not fight it. “Highly sensitive people make great leaders, friends, and partners,” says Aron. In other words: continue to have those feelings, PAS, even if they make you cry.

Article published in Brasilpost.com.br