Psychology (n) the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context
Highly Sensitive Person. Ah.
When I first heard this phrase (actually, first saw it in its abbreviated form of HSP), I thought, “Pphfth. Another thing for people to claim about themselves. Another excuse of behavior.” But, I read on. And on. Slowly, stubbornly, I realized this might be a thing. There’s even scientific evidence! And I might even be one of these things! *mini gasp*
Okay, I must admit, I’m a little bit – dare I say – obsessed with psychology. It has been a long-standing relationship between us. I get intense and radical for a while. I realize my intensity and cut myself off. I miss it and slowly become ridiculously hooked again. What are these relationships called? Co-dependency? That’s probably too extreme, but you get the idea.
So, I was browsing in my normal fashion around personality psychology. There it appeared, in [mentally] glowing letters: HSP. “What is this categorization that I am not yet aware of? I must discover!” Those were pretty much my thoughts. Pretty soon the above realization occurred and newfound [obsessive] outlet ensued.
So, what is a Highly Sensitive Person? I could of course enumerate for you all of the lovely details, but honestly there is so much out there on the subject already. So how about I just share some sites I like?
• The original self test by Dr. Elaine Aron is pretty great! I love how fast it is to complete and easy to calculate. Many of the questions do seem to repeat themselves, but there are indeed subtle differences. (Perhaps designed this way just for us HSPs? Probably.)
• Also on the original website for HSPs are facts and research, for those of you interested in the scientific aspect.
• Here are fourteen advantages to being a Highly Sensitive Person (since we tend to get down on ourselves a LOT); found on the wonderful online magazine by introverts for introverts: Introvert, Dear. Also on this website, there are other posts/ articles for HSPs. (One of my favorites is “11 Myths About Being Highly Sensitive”, in which one of the myths is that most highly sensitive people are women. In fact, there are just as many men HSPs as women! Mind blown.)
I really am still collecting so much information on the subject that I don’t feel qualified to state much on my own. If you, though, have known you are an HSP for a long time, are just learning you are, or have a friend or relative who is, I wish you well! And if you, like me, happen to obsess over new-found psychology related information, I hope the above sites are helpful in quenching your thirst.
image credit: Joshua Earle from unsplash.com
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