Rebecca Temsen at Self Development Secrets found my 1 August 2014 post, 16 Habits Of Highly Sensitive People, and she thought “it was a good read.” (I’m always fascinated when four-year old posts get a view.)
She noted that she recently “published a post on a similar topic that is very thorough but in a different perspective. It got some good (and constructive) compliments so far!
“If you like the post, maybe your readers would too and it could be a great addition to your above mentioned post?”
Well, I’m unlikely to update a post very often. Still, Why I Am So Sensitive And What To Do About It? resonated with me.
Specifically:
1. I’m Introverted. If you asked 10 people I know IRL whether I am extroverted or introverted, 6 or 7 would say I am extroverted. They would be wrong. I spend a great deal of time in my own world. I LIKE my company.
2. I Cry About Other People’s Pain, but usually not publicly.
3. I Hate Violence and Abuse. Despise it actually. I see abuse is often done subtly in a way that the victim wonders if it’s paranoia or the real thing. It’s most often the latter.
4. Criticism and Negativity Hurt Me Dearly. And unwarranted criticism REALLY sets me off. I’ve mentioned getting my worst spanking even though I did NOT mark up the piano when I was five, and would not own up to marking it, even though it would have ended the punishment. This is a long-standing issue, obviously.
Someone said, in a work situation, that I needed to be more of a team player. It was a BS observation, for reasons too long to go into here. If anything, I had been MORE of a team player than most. I actually let the comment go. But it was so infuriating that the rage woke me out of a deep sleep two days later.
5. I Love Beauty and Art, even though I’m lousy at creating it. And I REALLY do love music.
6. I’m Highly Insightful, or so I’ve bee told.
7. I React Emotionally often, not at the first stimulus, but definitely over time, when it feels unjust.
8. I’m Deep Feeling, probably.
9. I Like Doing Things Alone. Definitely. That’s why I love the blog. Even as a kid, I liked hanging in my room reading more than the company of others
10. I Don’t Like Conflict, Despise it actually. So when I force the issue – there is at least one work and one family situation that come immediately to mind – it must be damn important to me.