09/05/2025
This is applicable for so many wonderful people I work with 💜
Before I read Elaine Aron's The Highly Sensitive Person, I genuinely believed there was something wrong with me. I spent so much of my life feeling like I was walking around without a protective layer; overwhelmed by bright lights and loud noises, and absorbing the emotions of everyone around me like a sponge. I was told to "stop being so sensitive," a phrase that felt like a command to change my very nature. I thought my deep feelings, my need for solitude, and my rich inner world were weaknesses that I had to hide or fix.
Then, I opened this book, and it was like finding a map to my own mind. For the first time, I saw my experiences, not as flaws, but as traits. Aron introduced me to the term "Highly Sensitive Person" (HSP), and I felt an instant, powerful sense of recognition. It was the moment I realized I wasn't broken; I was just built differently.
Aron, a clinical and research psychologist, presents high sensitivity as a natural, inherited trait found in about 15-20% of the population. She calls it Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS), and it's the reason why some of us process information more deeply.
For me, that explained everything. It's why I'm so aware of subtleties, why I'm so deeply moved by art and music, and why I can feel things so intensely. The Highly Sensitive Person gave me the language to understand myself and the confidence to stop fighting my own nature. It taught me that my sensitivity isn't a burden to be endured but a gift to be embraced; a way of seeing and experiencing the world with a richness that others might miss. This book changed my perspective, how I see myself, and helped me to finally feel at home in my own skin.
Here are 6 profound insights I took from it:
1. High Sensitivity is a Biological Trait, Not a Personality Flaw
Aron explains that high sensitivity (also known as Sensory Processing Sensitivity) is innate—rooted in how your nervous system processes information. You’re not “overreacting” or “too emotional” by choice; your brain is literally wired to notice more, feel more, and think more deeply about everything. That alone was liberating to hear—it shifted the conversation from “What’s wrong with me?” to “This is simply how I’m built.”
2. Depth of Processing is the Core Feature
The highly sensitive mind doesn’t just skim the surface of experience—it dives deep. HSPs reflect more, connect dots more, and replay situations in their heads to find meaning. While this can lead to creativity, empathy, and insight, it can also cause overthinking and decision paralysis. Aron encourages embracing the gift of depth while learning boundaries for when to stop spiraling.
3. Overstimulation is the Real Enemy
HSPs are more easily overwhelmed because their brains take in so much more data—sounds, sights, emotions, details—that others might filter out. This means you may need more rest, quiet, and downtime than others to reset. Recognizing this as a physical need, not laziness, changes everything.
4. Sensitivity Comes with Heightened Empathy
Because you notice subtleties in body language, tone, and emotional energy, you naturally pick up on other people’s moods. This is a superpower in relationships, but without boundaries, it can lead to emotional exhaustion and even absorbing other people’s feelings as your own.
5. The World Often Rewards Extroversion and Underestimates Sensitivity
Aron shows how modern culture tends to celebrate the loudest, fastest, and boldest, often overlooking the deep thinkers, careful observers, and gentle leaders. This cultural mismatch can cause HSPs to feel “less than,” unless they learn to value their own contributions—which often involve insight, compassion, and long-term vision.
6. Thriving as an HSP Requires Self-Knowledge and Self-Advocacy
The more you understand your sensitivity, the better you can design a life that supports it—whether that means creating a peaceful home environment, choosing work that suits your strengths, or setting boundaries in relationships. Thriving doesn’t mean changing yourself; it means honoring your wiring and living in alignment with it.
Reading The Highly Sensitive Person taught me that sensitivity isn’t fragility; it’s depth, awareness, and connection in its purest form. If you’ve ever been told you’re “too much” or “too sensitive,” this book may just help you discover that you’re exactly enough.
BOOK: https://amzn.to/4p5zMvT
Enjoy the audiobook with a membership trial using the same link.
