A highly sensitive person can be attributed with high sensory processing trait. The term ‘innate sensitivity’ to denote this inherited characteristic was coined by Carl Jung. The tendency to get overly anxious in situations of immense pressure is evident in such people. The underlying cause is the biological dissimilarities between their nervous systems and that of others. This trait has often been wrongly labeled as social phobia, introversion, social anxiety problems and innate shyness. The trait is estimated with the aid of HSP scale. The term HSP meaning highly sensitive person was coined by Dr Elaine N. Aron and it postulates that shyness and inhibition may or may not be acquired by the individuals and may depend entirely on environmental factors.
Dr Aron and his colleagues have claimed that the trait of high sensitivity is conserved by the process of evolution. Aron indulged in normal infant temperature variations test including low sensory threshold and shy bold continuum described in animal species. The tests revealed that in both the cases the trait is beneficial and can persist in a multitude of circumstances. The infants continue to be influenced by their congenital temperaments even in their adulthood. The people with innate trait of sensitivity may display introvert behavior or neuroticism but this is not the case with everyone having this trait. This indicates that introversion and neuroticism may arise from the basic innate trait called sensitivity.
People with high sensitivity can be easily moved to tears or other emotional displays
People with high sensitivity can be easily moved to tears or other emotional displays through a play, book, movie or even a minor conversation. The principal reason for it being able to feel more deeply than an average individual. Such persons would empathize more with a friend in distress or turmoil. Team sport is certainly not on the wish-list of sensitive people. The feeling that other people are watching and judging is unpalatable, therefore joining the school team or college team or any other team becomes impossible. Even going to a gym and exercising with others is not deemed possible and working out within the confines of the house seems satisfactory.
The highly sensitive people are impeccable in their social behavior and their polite behavior is a defining characteristic. They also take note of improper behavior of others. The thought of being criticized by people gives them heartburn and as a result they go to extraordinary lengths to circumvent or avoid any criticism. They do not want to make anyone annoyed or angry. The amount of time taken to arrive at a conclusion or make a decision is lengthy because all the subtleties and possible outcomes are weighed heavily before making any decision. If the decision turns out to be wrong or bad they feel upset and disheartened. The tendency to minutely observe everything is incredible.
About 30% of highly sensitive people are extroverts according to Aron. This may happen if the person has grown up in a close knit community and has interacted with a lot of people. The quality of being deep thinkers makes them a valuable asset for any team as long as the role of final decision making is left to someone else. Anxiety or depression are more prevalent among such people and require a supportive environment especially from the parents.
Shyamolima Datta, having Masters in Applied Psychology, is an experienced Counseling Psychologist. She follows the humanistic approach to therapy along with cognitive behavioral therapy. Psychological testing is her forte as she has administered a lot of them such as Davis Battery of differential ability, MMPI, SFBT, MISIC, TAT, Beck’s Depression inventory, Rorschach Inkblot test and the like. Along with an impeccable academic background in Psychology, she has had the opportunity to work with diverse population suffering from psychological issues and has successfully treated a lot of them. Read More >>
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Email: shyamolima.datta@gmail.com
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