Highly Sensitive

"Introverts are people whose energy tends to expand through reflection and dwindle during interaction. They often take pleasure in solitary activities such as reading, writing, music, drawing, tinkering, playing video games, watching movies and plays, and using computers.  The archetypal artist, writer, sculptor, engineer, composer, and inventor are all highly introverted."

Being highly sensitive probably increases our vulnerability to anxiety and depression, which for many of us go together to some extent.

Psychologist Elaine Aron thinks high sensitivity increases the impact of all emotionally tinged events, which can make anxiety especially strong for HSPs.

Photo: Emma Thompson is among many talented and creative people who have experienced mood challenges.

Guest Post – By Cliff Harwin, Author of Making Sense of Your High Sensitivity. How very little we know about ourselves…but how much we could know if we took the time to do so. So much of our personal happiness depends on knowing ourselves.

Author Ihrén Abrahamsson became aware that she was a highly sensitive person (HSP) when working in prison. Now she spreads awareness about this common, but little known, condition.

By guest author Lisa A. Riley, LMFT, Creativity Coach

"Throughout my practice, I have encountered a connection between highly sensitive people and their own creative impulses.

"This characteristic does not discriminate between painter, actor, or musician—they all appear to have one thing in common: they experience the world differently than the average individual."

Photo: musician Jewel. Her lyrics include:

"Oh please be careful with me, I’m sensitive

"And I’d like to stay that way"

By: Tia Ghose, LiveScience Staff Writer - "Extroverts and introverts differ strongly in how their brains process rewarding experiences, new research suggests."

By Cliff Harwin. "Do you take for granted the talents/gifts that you possess? If I were to ask you to list your strengths and weaknesses, you'd probably list more weak points than strong ones. Why are we so critical of ourselves? Could it be that we assume if something comes easy to us that it’s not a valuable skill or strength? Maybe we’re trying to be too perfect and anything we do well is not quite good enough."

Sophia Dembling - Professional Introvert writes: "I actually don't agree with this. To my mind, small talk is the point of small talk. It is a small...

By Joe Moran -- "Shyness is a part of being human, and the world would be a more insipid, less creative place without it."

"In her recent book Quiet, Susan Cain worries about a world ruled by what she calls the ‘extrovert ideal’… Much of Quiet consists of telling introverts how wonderful they are: how we think more deeply and concentrate better than extroverts… Yet introversion is not the same as shyness, as Cain is careful to point out, although the two do often overlap."

Therapist Ane Axford and entrepreneur mentor Marie Forleo [photo with Richard Branson] talk about HSPs [highly sensitive persons] and being, in Elaine Aron’s term, high sensation seeking, and how this can lead to being multipassionate and dissatisfied with routine jobs – and even a diagnosis of ADD – but how it is also a strength for us as entrepreneurs.

Sensitive Soul,  If you identify as sensitive, whether you’re introverted, extroverted or somewhere in between, your sensitivity is your foundation. Or perhaps it’s your softly sculpted flowery edge. Either way, you carry it with you, and it either guides or derails you. Sensitivity is so beautiful, yet so fragile and misunderstood. We spend so much of our lives resenting it, fighting it, trying to smother it down, instead of nourishing it."

"Are you or your child a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)?…Schools often try to change Highly Sensitive Children. They are made to sit at tables facing other children so they can learn to “cooperate,” when in fact they do their best work sitting in a row.

"They may hold back from many school activities because these have become competitive events. They would rather enjoy sports, art, music, or dance for intrinsic merits, rather than trying to win a blue ribbon or first place." // "Sometimes, even the liturgy seems to favor outgoing, hale-and-hearty personalities." - By clinical psychologist William Van Ornum

Writer Susan Cain says modern culture rewards extroverts and overlooks the contributions of quiet thinkers

'Studies suggest one out of every two or three people are introverts, but just like animals that carry shelter everywhere they go, many of us are “pseudo-extroverts” – introverts faking it through the social crush of modern life. Often overlooked or branded as “shy,” introverts have long been up against the “extrovert ideal,” which rewards the brash at school, at the office and at cocktail parties.'

Many seemingly self-assured performers and actors have experienced shyness. Many people find performing changes their level of self confidence.

Amy Adams: "I like not being noticed. It has been a struggle because I love performing, but if I’m in a group of people and someone has a bigger personality I’m like 'Go ahead, and have fun!' It looks like a lotta work."

Impatience is a constant in our lives. Speed is pervasive in our market economies. It gives us a lot but also takes a lot. Are we making a good bargain?