Sensitive? You Have More Going For You Than You Think

We’re here to shine, baby ✨

“You’re so sensitive.”
Did you hear it? The subtle judgment in these words?

Or worse:
“You’re too sensitive.”

I’ve been guilty of this myself: “Maybe I’m being sensitive about this.”

Sensitive can feel like an accusation.
Often paired with an enhancer: so, too, very… or an eye roll.

And I think that’s simply wrong.

Not to brag, but here are 4 reasons why sensitive people are the coolest.

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1. Sensitivity is linked to brilliance

I’m not the one saying this, Linda Silverman, director of the Gifted Development Center in Denver, did. Her clinical research over 42 years suggests that the higher an individual’s IQ, the more likely they are to meet the features of a highly sensitive person.

Turns out things like depth of processing, attention to detail, and high empathy are fantastic ingredients for giftedness.

The very traits that make you feel “too much” in a loud room are the ones that make you exceptional.

One famous highly sensitive person - Albert Einstein

2. Give us support and watch what happens

Sensitive people don’t just benefit from support.
They amplify it.

It could be coaching, therapy, or a healthy environment. Any push they get, they completely absorb and get more out of it than the average person.

In the wonderful book Sensitive, Jenn Granneman and Andre Sólo call this The Sensitivity Boost.
They make this powerful analogy: “Sensitive people, it appears, are not hothouse orchids who wither in anything but the most perfect conditions. Rather, they are akin to succulents: No drop of nourishment escapes them, and they continue to absorb it until they swell with lovely blossoms.”

We’re wired for supergrowth, people.

3. Sensitivity Is Fertile Ground for EQ

Daniel Goleman popularized the term Emotional Intelligence through his groundbreaking book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.

The benefits of having high levels of EI are widely recognized.
It’s well established that emotionally intelligent people tend to be stronger performers and leaders, and enjoy better personal well-being overall.

According to Goleman, people who have low levels of self-awareness struggle to develop other emotional intelligence skills, while those with high self-awareness excel across the board.

Turns out self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence.
And sensitive people tend to have it in abundance.

That’s only one of the components of EI that comes naturally to us. Empathy is another big one, making emotional intelligence an easy skill to acquire for highly sensitive people.

4. Sensitive people go through life in 4k

If you’re someone with high levels of sensitivity, you know what I mean: our sensory system is turned all the way up. And while that can easily lead to overstimulation and overthinking, it also comes with a gift: our depth amplifies the beauty of life too, even the tiniest things.

The voice of a street singer can stop us in our tracks.
The hard-working ant carrying a tiny crumb: gorgeous.
A pretty sunset takes our breath away and fills us with immense joy.

I don’t know about you, but for me, that’s the only way to live.

Yes, the lows can feel intense.
But it also means the highs are in technicolor.

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If you’re a highly sensitive person often feeling judged or left out, I hope this gave you the self-esteem boost you deserve.

Bottom line: The world needs sensitive people.
They should be celebrated every day.

Enough with the stigma. Enough with the blame.
Enough with the too-s and the so-s.

We’re sensitive and done apologizing for it.

We’re here to shine, baby 🪩✨

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Are you someone who feels deeply and thinks a lot? Me too.
That’s why I know how quickly clarity can come from thinking out loud in the presence of someone who’s truly listening.
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