HSP - Highly Sensitive Person

[Elizabeth35]

I first heard about being an HSP a few years ago and suddenly everything clicked! I finally began to understand myself a little more.

I'm definitely not an expert, but I'll try to summarize it in case you haven't heard about it before. Being a Highly Sensitive Person affects around 20%-30% of the population. It's not a disorder or condition, medication is not required, it's just the way our systems are wired, we process things on much deeper level. But simply put, it's the way God made us.

This excerpt from https://hsperson.com/ can explain it better than I can.

• Are you easily overwhelmed by such things as bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, or sirens nearby?
• Do you like deep conversations?
• Do you get rattled when you have a lot to do in a short amount of time?
• Do other people tell you that you are good at understanding what they are feeling or thinking?
• Do you tend to reflect on things deeply?
• Do you make a point of avoiding violent movies and TV shows?
• Do you notice or enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, or works of art?
• Do you have a rich and complex inner life?
• When you were a child, did your parents or teachers see you as sensitive or shy?

There is a self-test on the website if you're interested in taking it.

So I'm curious to know if anyone else around CC is a HSP. What has your experience been with being highly sensitive? Do you feel like it's a gift or a burden? How do you feel it affects you as a Christian?

 

[Lynx]

All I know is, HSP seems to be very popular currently.

 

[Eli1]

I first heard about being an HSP a few years ago and suddenly everything clicked! I finally began to understand myself a little more.

I'm definitely not an expert, but I'll try to summarize it in case you haven't heard about it before. Being a Highly Sensitive Person affects around 20%-30% of the population. It's not a disorder or condition, medication is not required, it's just the way our systems are wired, we process things on much deeper level. But simply put, it's the way God made us.

This excerpt from https://hsperson.com/ can explain it better than I can.

• Are you easily overwhelmed by such things as bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, or sirens nearby?
• Do you like deep conversations?
• Do you get rattled when you have a lot to do in a short amount of time?
• Do other people tell you that you are good at understanding what they are feeling or thinking?
• Do you tend to reflect on things deeply?
• Do you make a point of avoiding violent movies and TV shows?
• Do you notice or enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, or works of art?
• Do you have a rich and complex inner life?
• When you were a child, did your parents or teachers see you as sensitive or shy?

There is a self-test on the website if you're interested in taking it.

So I'm curious to know if anyone else around CC is a HSP. What has your experience been with being highly sensitive? Do you feel like it's a gift or a burden? How do you feel it affects you as a Christian?

As it's common in communication, we usually need to establish what you mean before you get an answer.
Based on what you said above i would say that this applies more to a "Deep Thinker" as opposed to a highly sensitive person.
And you also have like 3-4 other categories in there that don't apply to a deep thinker.

Maybe you mean empath?
Maybe you mean a liberal looking for safe spaces?
Maybe you mean a person with mental health issues?

Very difficult to understand the root idea in 2025 when people (the left typically) has made synonyms of synonyms lose their meaning in a game of broken telephone.

Wish you all the best and God bless you.

 

[Seeker47]

Took the test.....not a HSP.....not sure what that means but I am highly sensitive to the implications.

Dolt? Dense? Numb?

 

[Elizabeth35]

As it's common in communication, we usually need to establish what you mean before you get an answer.
Based on what you said above i would say that this applies more to a "Deep Thinker" as opposed to a highly sensitive person.
And you also have like 3-4 other categories in there that don't apply to a deep thinker.

Maybe you mean empath?
Maybe you mean a liberal looking for safe spaces?
Maybe you mean a person with mental health issues?

Very difficult to understand the root idea in 2025 when people (the left typically) has made synonyms of synonyms lose their meaning in a game of broken telephone.

Wish you all the best and God bless you.

Ha! I'm definitely not talking about a liberal looking for a safe space. And I'm not talking about mental health issues either, as I said it's not a disorder or condition, nor does it require medication, you're not diagnosed with it. An empath would be the most similar to what you said, and HSPs do tend to be deep thinkers. I'd consider it a personality trait like being an introvert or extrovert.

The term "highly sensitive person" came about in the 90s by a research psychologist. "Aron's research led her to identify a distinct personality trait characterized by heightened sensitivity to stimuli, deeper cognitive processing, and increased emotional reactivity...Her findings indicated that approximately 15 to 20 percent of the population exhibits this trait, and it is not a disorder but rather a natural variation in human temperament. " (copied from google)

Someone who is highly sensitive may be extra sensitive to medication, they may also have a deeper reaction than the average person when seeing violence on the news, they may be overstimulated by bright lights and the smell of someone's cologne, and they're likely to notice the person everyone else ignores. Typically they're creative and good with animals as well.

I can understand that it would be hard for someone to imagine what this is like if they A) haven't heard of this before and can't relate to it or B) have a "normal" amount or less than normal amount of sensitivity.

Who knows! Maybe it's a bunch of psychobabble, but it is interesting especially for those who may be able to relate.

 

[Elizabeth35]

All I know is, HSP seems to be very popular currently.

It is? I know ADHD is something everyone and their dentist has self diagnosed themselves with in the last couple years, but I haven't seen anything about HSP.

 

[CarriePie]

I took the test and it said I have a tendency towards HSP.
I've always been introverted, but anymore I'm a recluse. I mention this, because maybe my tendency towards HSP makes me enjoy being a recluse because it's peaceful. I haven't gone as far as wanting to be a total hermit though lol. I take myself out to a concert (not a rowdy concert) or out to eat once in a while.

Having said that, I really like the term Eli used: Deep Thinker. 🎯


Oh, I should probably add that when it comes to movies and tv shows, this doesn't apply to me. I love a lot of gun play and butt kicking. Otherwise, I like quiet times out watching the birds and thinking deep thoughts. The only chaos I like is in the movies lol.

 

[seoulsearch]

I took the test and it said I have a tendency towards HSP.
I've always been introverted, but anymore I'm a recluse. I mention this, because maybe my tendency towards HSP makes me enjoy being a recluse because it's peaceful. I haven't gone as far as wanting to be a total hermit though lol. I take myself out to a concert (not a rowdy concert) or out to eat once in a while.

Having said that, I really like the term Eli used: Deep Thinker. 🎯


Oh, I should probably add that when it comes to movies and tv shows, this doesn't apply to me. I love a lot of gun play and butt kicking. Otherwise, I like quiet times out watching the birds and thinking deep thoughts. The only chaos I like is in the movies lol.

I scored as having a high tendency towards HSP...

And now I'm wondering if many/most people here in the forums would score as having a tendency or high tendency, because the forum seems to attract mostly introverts (and I wonder, as Carrie is saying, if this is common, or at least more so, in introverts.)

I wrote a poll a while back about whether people considered themselves introverts, extroverts, or something in between, and not as a single person voted that they were an extrovert.

 

[Lynx]

Ha! I'm definitely not talking about a liberal looking for a safe space. And I'm not talking about mental health issues either, as I said it's not a disorder or condition, nor does it require medication, you're not diagnosed with it. An empath would be the most similar to what you said, and HSPs do tend to be deep thinkers. I'd consider it a personality trait like being an introvert or extrovert.

The term "highly sensitive person" came about in the 90s by a research psychologist. "Aron's research led her to identify a distinct personality trait characterized by heightened sensitivity to stimuli, deeper cognitive processing, and increased emotional reactivity...Her findings indicated that approximately 15 to 20 percent of the population exhibits this trait, and it is not a disorder but rather a natural variation in human temperament. " (copied from google)

Someone who is highly sensitive may be extra sensitive to medication, they may also have a deeper reaction than the average person when seeing violence on the news, they may be overstimulated by bright lights and the smell of someone's cologne, and they're likely to notice the person everyone else ignores. Typically they're creative and good with animals as well.

I can understand that it would be hard for someone to imagine what this is like if they A) haven't heard of this before and can't relate to it or B) have a "normal" amount or less than normal amount of sensitivity.

Who knows! Maybe it's a bunch of psychobabble, but it is interesting especially for those who may be able to relate.

To me it sounds a whole lot like Ayn Rand.

 

[seoulsearch]

Ha! I'm definitely not talking about a liberal looking for a safe space. And I'm not talking about mental health issues either, as I said it's not a disorder or condition, nor does it require medication, you're not diagnosed with it. An empath would be the most similar to what you said, and HSPs do tend to be deep thinkers. I'd consider it a personality trait like being an introvert or extrovert.

The term "highly sensitive person" came about in the 90s by a research psychologist. "Aron's research led her to identify a distinct personality trait characterized by heightened sensitivity to stimuli, deeper cognitive processing, and increased emotional reactivity...Her findings indicated that approximately 15 to 20 percent of the population exhibits this trait, and it is not a disorder but rather a natural variation in human temperament. " (copied from google)

Someone who is highly sensitive may be extra sensitive to medication, they may also have a deeper reaction than the average person when seeing violence on the news, they may be overstimulated by bright lights and the smell of someone's cologne, and they're likely to notice the person everyone else ignores. Typically they're creative and good with animals as well.

I can understand that it would be hard for someone to imagine what this is like if they A) haven't heard of this before and can't relate to it or B) have a "normal" amount or less than normal amount of sensitivity.

Who knows! Maybe it's a bunch of psychobabble, but it is interesting especially for those who may be able to relate.

I'm sorry if it was in the article and I missed it, but did the author make any kind of distinction between being highly sensitive to stimuli due to HSP, or highly sensitive to stimuli due to something like autism?

I just thought of that because I'm trying to education myself more about autism and in every description I've seen or read, there is always a mention of being highly sensitive to stimuli. I realize this is a bit of a hallmark autism? And I'm sure like anything, HSP and autism can overlap.

I'm just wondering if they've noticed any distinct or quantifiable differences in sensitivity to stimuli between the two.

 

[Lynx]

I scored as having a high tendency towards HSP...

And now I'm wondering if many/most people here in the forums would score as having a tendency or high tendency, because the forum seems to attract mostly introverts (and I wonder, as Carrie is saying, if this is common, or at least more so, in introverts.)

I wrote a poll a while back about whether people considered themselves introverts, extroverts, or something in between, and not as a single person voted that they were an extrovert.

Sorry about that. They would love to pop in if they could, but they have a date tonight.

 

[Eli1]

Someone who is highly sensitive may be extra sensitive to medication, they may also have a deeper reaction than the average person when seeing violence on the news, they may be overstimulated by bright lights and the smell of someone's cologne, and they're likely to notice the person everyone else ignores. Typically they're creative and good with animals as well.

If we go by this description then this is a bit of me in there. This may be also called as 'empath' but not exactly because it doesn't capture the spiritual level or mental level but the physical level too such as being sensitive to violence, noticing the smell or fragrances and other physical aspects which we might call 'aesthetics'.
I am NOT good with animals tho because i wasn't born in US so animals are not elevated in my culture as high as they are elevated in the West.
I am also very analytical by nature since i was 13 years old when i asked questions about God in a culture where God was banned and there was state-sanctioned atheism.

So if we want to include 'empath' under the higher category of HSP then i agree.

 

[Lynx]

I am NOT good with animals tho because i wasn't born in US so animals are not elevated in my culture as high as they are elevated in the West.

Hey now, don't lump us ALL in that. That's just a few fruitcakes calling their dogs their children.

In fact the group of people who dote on their pets is far outweighed by the group of people who really like to make fun of the people who dote on their pets.

I know my dog, sitting out in the hot air, because I don't allow pets indoors, he would probably vote that pets in general could stand a little elevating around here. But he has a water bucket and some shade to lie in, so he'll survive.

 

[Elizabeth35]

I'm sorry if it was in the article and I missed it, but did the author make any kind of distinction between being highly sensitive to stimuli due to HSP, or highly sensitive to stimuli due to something like autism?

I just thought of that because I'm trying to education myself more about autism and in every description I've seen or read, there is always a mention of being highly sensitive to stimuli. I realize this is a bit of a hallmark autism? And I'm sure like anything, HSP and autism can overlap.

I'm just wondering if they've noticed any distinct or quantifiable differences in sensitivity to stimuli between the two.

I too have wondered if there was connection based on over stimulation. From my understanding someone who is highly sensitive is not autistic or on the spectrum, but someone who has autism can have high sensitivity. So while they can overlap, they aren't connected.

Quoting google again, "Highly Sensitive People (HSP) and autism are distinct but sometimes overlapping concepts. While both involve heightened sensitivity to environmental stimuli, they are not the same. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication, and behavior, while HSP is a temperament trait involving heightened sensitivity to sensory and emotional stimuli.
Some individuals may exhibit traits of both HSP and autism, but they are not inherently the same. Research suggests that HSP is not a disorder and is not recognized in diagnostic manuals like the DSM-5, whereas autism is a diagnosable condition. Additionally, while some autistic individuals may also be highly sensitive, the core characteristics and diagnostic criteria for autism extend beyond sensory sensitivity to include social and behavioral differences.

• HSP (Highly Sensitive Person): A temperament trait characterized by heightened sensitivity to environmental stimuli, deep processing of information, and emotional responsiveness. It is not a disorder and is not recognized in diagnostic manuals.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A neurodevelopmental condition with challenges in social interaction, communication, and behavior. It is a diagnosable condition and is recognized in diagnostic manuals like the DSM-5."

I hope that helps!