Sensitive |
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14 June 2024 - Adetswil
Jenn Granneman and Andre Sólo's book on sensitive people was a voyage of self-discovery as someone who's always been on the sensitive side. I refuse to watch horror movies and get really uncomfortable when people yell. I thought these were quirks but they're really part of an overall pattern for a sensitive person, at least according to Granneman and Sólo. Feeling what other people feel to the point where the sensitive person can even believe that the other person's feelings are their own is empathy on overdrive. The importance of comfortable clothing and avoiding overwhelming smells also falls under their sensitive rubric, which I'd always thought were traits just on the lighter side of the autism spectrum.
Granneman and Sólo argue that sensitivity has another side besides these difficulties though, calling it a superpower. Firstoff is what they call the sensitivity boost effect, where sensitive people tend to excel beyond others when put in a socially supportive environment. They further argue that sensitive people have five gifts: empathy, creativity, sensory intelligence, depth of processing, and depth of emotion. It's no wonder the fast, loud modern world seems like too much for the sensitive person.
Hopefully this book will help society to move past the stigma that leads people to say "don't be so sensitive" to kids. I know being hyper-observant and empathetic has made me a better parent and manager of people and my propensity to take time to process things before giving an answer often leads to better ones. And creativity has sure led to creating some beautiful things in life. Other sensitive people can no doubt find context for their special talents in this book. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
