Psychology: Why sensitivity is not a weakness, but your superpower

"Don't be so sensitive," "You need a thicker skin" – how many times in my life have I had to listen to such or similarly clever sayings? I'm one of those people who feels a lot and usually can't hide those feelings. I get hurt easily, and yes: offended, sad, and often insecure. I constantly worry that someone might be angry with me for not answering my message right away. I get emotional quickly and can hardly watch a film, series, or even a documentary without tears welling up in my eyes – whether it's about a romantic drama, animal rights, or even just a stressful day at work.

All of this is sometimes exhausting—for me and certainly for those around me. But on the other hand, I'm also very empathetic and can empathize with others, even if their situations and circumstances are completely foreign to me.

Do we really need more harshness in this world?

Because that's the flip side of the coin: Those who are super tough, have a thick skin, and don't let things get to them easily, also build this wall in their interactions with others. And does this crazy world full of autocrats, war, and radicalization really need more people who suppress their feelings and show toughness? Certainly not.

Compassion is a very undervalued value in our society. It may sometimes be easier to turn a blind eye to the world's misery. But if everyone did that all the time, how would anything change? Change is usually initiated by those who have either experienced something terrible themselves or who can empathize with those who are suffering or oppressed.

Being sensitive is anything but a weakness

Instead of dismissingsensitivity and high sensitivity, and all the associated characteristics, as weakness, we might consider how crazy it actually is to label someone who allows their emotions and empathizes with others as weak. After all, what's weak about enduring unpleasant feelings like fear, anger, shame, or sadness?

Not sure if you're highly sensitive? Our test can give you some insight:

Instead, it takes a great deal of strength to be able to deal with strong emotions, accept them, and learn from them. If we don't reflect on our own feelings and instead constantly push away anything that doesn't suit us at the moment, we can hardly develop further—neither as individuals nor as a society.

4 strengths of sensitive people

Those who feel a lot can also achieve a lot. These four things come particularly easily to sensitive people and distinguish them:

1. You know yourself better

If you don't filter your feelings, you get to know yourself quite well—whether you want to or not. But this also means that sensitive people know their needs very well and what's good for them and what's not. Because if someone can't accept and understand their feelings, how can they truly know what defines them as a person and what they need?

2. They are empathetic

Sensitive people's sensitivity doesn't stop once the situation is no longer about them. They can also detect and, above all, understand other people's moods and emotions quite accurately. This makes them good listeners and popular advisors among family and friends. Sensitive people also usually have a pretty good radar for the vibes and moods in a group.

3. You are creative

Many people who are highly sensitive and emotional have a vivid imagination and often a penchant for art and culture. This doesn't mean that every sensitive person is a passionate artist, but they are likely to be interested in the finer things in life, such as books, interior design, or beautiful paintings. Their vivid imagination makes them very creative—in a wide variety of areas.

4. You are very meticulous and detail-oriented

Highly sensitive people tend to react intensely to criticism. Negative criticism quickly affects sensitive people (there's that lack of thick skin again), but they are very receptive to praise. And because they take criticism just as much to heart as anything else, they tend to work quite thoroughly and pay great attention to detail. Due to the constant brooding and overthinking that many sensitive people can't stop, they set very high standards for themselves – but this often leads to quite good results.

Brigitte

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