highly sensitive people

Here you can read about Highly Sensitive People and take a short test

Approximately 20–30 percent of the population are HSPs (highly sensitive people).

If you are highly sensitive, your nervous system is more finely tuned than most. You probably pick up on other people’s moods easily, and things like noise, chaos, or unpredictability can affect you more strongly.

Highly sensitive people often have a rich inner life. Even small details in your environment can spark vivid mental “movies” or deep reflections. Because your system processes more inputs than most, you may reach a point of overstimulation faster and need to retreat to a quiet space to recharge and process everything.

You are likely skilled at generating new ideas and spotting possibilities, and you may have a natural talent for anticipating potential problems before they arise.

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Are you highly sensitive?

If so, you’ll probably answer no to most of these statements:

I love horror movies.
I enjoy setting off firecrackers.
I can get by on very little sleep.
I’m usually one of the last people to leave a party.
I stay in a good mood and full of energy no matter what’s happening around me.
I’m quick to reply and usually come out on top in arguments or debates.

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You’ll likely answer yes to most of these:

Tasks that seem easy for others can sometimes feel overwhelming to me.
I need more time alone than most people do.
I have a strong intuition about how animals and plants feel.
Being in nature feels deeply nourishing.
I sense that there’s more to life than we can measure or weigh.
Music and art can move me profoundly and fill me with joy.

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Take a moment to reflect: the more you answered “yes” to the second list, the more likely it is that you are highly sensitive—and that your rich inner world is one of your greatest strengths.

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The highly sensitive trait is not a new discovery; it has simply been called other things, such as introversion. American psychologist and researcher Elaine Aron introduced and described the concept of the “highly sensitive person.” She explains that she initially believed being introverted and being highly sensitive were the same, until she realized that about 30% of highly sensitive people are socially extroverted.

The trait has also been labeled as inhibited, anxious, or shy. Terms like these only describe how the trait appears to others when a highly sensitive person feels unsupported or unsafe. Describing the trait in such ways fails to capture the full picture: while highly sensitive people may face more challenges under pressure, they are also capable of deep happiness when their environment is peaceful and supportive.

Highly sensitive people may feel uneasy when conditions aren’t ideal, but they can thrive remarkably when their environment is supportive—a fact backed by research. For example, one study found that children who reacted strongly in challenging situations (i.e., sensitive children) became ill more often and had more accidents under stress compared with other children. Yet, in familiar and comfortable surroundings, these same children were healthier and had fewer accidents than their peers.

Read more in the book Highly Sensitive People in an Insensitive World:
How to Create a Happy Life. (available in 24 languages)

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