Do You Know What It Means to Be Highly Sensitive?

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I had this strange vision pop into my mind when you added that which is I almost looked at the first four as the um like the four letters of of uh you know like a genome and then this addition is almost like the epigenetics that either turns it on or turns it off or modulates it. So sensitive people in particular seem to be really miserable if they're not able to do their calling because drudgery just doesn't work for them, he says.

So, what if being highly sensitive was actually a superpower, not something to be fixed?

If you've ever heard the term, “highly sensitive person,” or even been called highly sensitive and maybe even recoiled a bit when that happened, our conversation with today’s guest, Dr. Elaine Aron, just might change your world. An acclaimed researcher, she first identified high sensitivity as a distinct character trait more than 25 years ago, introducing the term “Highly Sensitive Person” to describe someone who is easily overwhelmed by strong sensory input, subtleties in environment and other people’s moods, processes things in different ways and at different speeds, and deeply feels pressure and overstimulation.

Since its publication in 1995, her preeminent book on the subject, The Highly Sensitive Person, has gone on to become an international bestseller translated into 30 languages. She is also the author of The Highly Sensitive Parent, and many others. She has established the Foundation for the Study of Highly Sensitive Persons and published many scientific articles on sensitivity in the leading journals in her field.

Turns out, today’s conversation was also personal, because in many ways, I’ve begun to realize that I actually identify as a highly sensitive person. But, I also discovered so much more about the way I move through the world, how this trait relates to introversion and extroversion - very surprising - and how you can be both highly sensitive, while also being high-sensation, which I’d never heard before. And, we also discover how Elaine’s lens on high sensitivity has evolved in meaningful ways since her groundbreaking early research on the topics.

You can find Elaine at: Website

If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Susan David, PhD about emotional agility.

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