What’s a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)?

We’ve come to accept that there are certain traits humans have developed over the millennia as survival strategies. One of those evolutionary strategies is High Sensitivity. It’s been hypothesized that in hunter-gatherer times, sensitive community members may have actually helped the group survive generation after generation by being aware of important details like which were the safe berries to eat. (If you’re raising your phone containing your color-coded GCal in victory right now, I feel you. Yes, my detail-oriented friends, that tendency may have kept the human race alive!)

These days, people who are wired for greater sensitivity are recognized as having an innate temperamental trait. It’s known as Sensory Processing Sensitivity, or more popularly as Highly Sensitive. It’s not a mental diagnosis, disorder, or medical condition. It’s also not caused by trauma or attachment issues as children. It is a personality trait present from birth that about 20% of the population has.

There are four traits associated with the innate temperament of High Sensitivity. There are neural differences in Highly Sensitive People’s (HSP) brains as compared to non-sensitive people. Sensitive folx have more brain activity in the areas responsible for information processing and their mirror neurons are more active. Mirror neurons are what help us understand, and feel, to a certain extent, what others are experiencing. (Also known as empathy!)

The four traits were identified by Dr. Elaine Aron, a pre-eminent researcher on HSPs. Together, they are known by their acronym, DOES.

The first trait is Depth of Processing. HSPs more deeply process information and external stimuli than non-sensitive people do.

Secondly, we have Overstimulation. Because Highly Sensitives are more deeply aware of every little thing going on around them, and inside themselves, they tend to be more easily overwhelmed than others.

The third trait is Emotional Reactivity and Empathy. Sensitive people have stronger emotional reactions, with research showing they feel positive emotions particularly deeply. They’re more responsive to other’s emotions too and more empathetic.

Lastly, we have Sensing the Subtle. HSPs pick up more on subtleties, like nonverbal cues and slight vocal inflection changes in conversation. This can be lead to powerful insights where HSPs just “know” things without knowing how.

Highly Sensitive People simply feel more deeply. They tend to be more sensitive to pain, noises, and other sensory input compared to the other 80% of people who are non-sensitive. There’s research to indicate that HSPs more acutely experience both negative and positive emotions- especially positive emotions. They are incredibly aware of beauty in the smallest things, often art or music lovers, and savor pleasure. Some research indicates that HSPs also find anticipating enjoyment much more pleasurable than non-sensitive people typically might- if planning a trip, they find the dreaming, planning and mapping out sights almost as enjoyable as the actual trip.

The trait of High Sensitivity is one that is deeply needed in our world. In a fast-paced, often non-empathetic world where aggressive, quick-decision-making is valued, HSPs can remind us that slowing down, compassionately considering other’s points of view and taking time to come to an intuitive and informed decision is also important.