The term Highly Sensitive People (PAS) was coined by Dr. Elaine Aron in the 1990s. Author of the book “The Highly Sensitive Person” which was and still is a great success, Aron describes in it the concept of PAS. 
He defines these people as highly empathic and intuitive, with a great capacity to connect with people. According to the author, between 15 and 20% of the general population would be PAS.
But what else do we know about PAS? What are their other characteristics and how can we better relate to and understand them?
9 characteristics of highly sensitive people
How is a highly sensitive person? We leave you 9 of its characteristics:
Feel more intensely
One of the characteristics of highly sensitive people is, as their name suggests, the intensity when it comes to feeling. This greater sensitivity also leads them to be more intuitive people. In this sense, Ted Zeff, author of “The Highly Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide”, affirms that these are very intuitive people, who get to the bottom of things to discover everything.
They are emotionally reactive
While it is true that all of us react to the events and situations we experience, emotionally, cognitively, and behaviorally, HSPs react even more intensely. This leads them to be more empathic and to care more for others.
They are very observant
Another feature that characterizes them is the facility to observe the environment and to realize those things that another person would go unnoticed. Thus, they pay close attention to details, they observe and analyze more easily than the rest, and they are capable of perceiving nuances that are almost imperceptible to others (and, moreover, more quickly).
Are prone to anxiety or depression
Being PAS does not only imply positive aspects; Thus, these people may be more prone to suffering from anxiety or depression when they experience complicated situations. On the other hand, it is important to know that traumatic experiences in childhood can affect them more than the rest and cause their nervous system to be more reactive and, therefore, increase the probability of suffering from anxiety.
They are hypersensitive to sounds or chaos
Although not always, the truth is that many highly sensitive people can be hypersensitive to loud or unpleasant sounds. In this way, these types of sounds can bother them more, because their sensitivity threshold is lower.
They may also be more sensitive to chaos and disorder, for example, and, in addition, they may fatigue sooner in stimulating situations or in activities that require a high level of activation.
Are intuitive
Intuition is defined as that ability that allows us to know, understand or perceive something in the environment clearly and immediately, without the intervention of reason. All people are intuitive, to a lesser or lesser degree. But highly sensitive people have specially developed intuition.
In line with what has already been said, in addition to being great observers, they are capable of quickly perceiving the details and nuances of the environment and, based on this, they generate hypotheses or statements without reason.
They cry and laugh easily
Another of the characteristics of the PAS is its facility to cry or laugh. By feeling emotions more intensely, they are closer to “overflowing” emotionally, either through laughter or crying.
This is due to the fact that their emotions are often on the surface. Crying or laughing actually allows you to release those emotions and loosen up.
They get very involved in things
Highly sensitive people, in general, tend to get very involved in the things that matter to them. They live life with intensity and this has a lot to do with their way of connecting with the world, people, things…
Non-HSPs can get very involved with things, true, but they don’t do it as often or as easily, compared to an HSP.
They have highly developed empathy
Empathy is the ability to put ourselves in another’s place and highly sensitive people have highly developed empathy. It is not at all difficult for them to connect with others, to be moved by their stories, to feel compassion, to connect with the pain and suffering of others (understand it, live it…), etc.
This “hyper” empathy can sometimes be overwhelming for them, because by empathizing so much with the other, they “carry” their emotional backpack and that can sometimes overwhelm them. However, if they learn to model that “excess” empathy, it can be very useful for them to understand others and bond deeply with people. This can be very beneficial in professions such as medicine or psychology, where dealing with the patient is paramount.
How to relate to and better understand a PAS person
How to treat a PAS person? It is not that PAS should be treated in a “specific” way, but it is true that there are some key ideas that can help us connect more with people with these characteristics:
Prioritize your rest
Highly sensitive people generally need more rest. This is due to the fact that they have a more developed nervous system, which reacts more strongly to stimuli; for this reason, by feeling things so much, they get irritated and tired more easily. That is why it will be important to keep in mind that they should rest more.
Respect their rhythms
In line with the previous point, another idea to take into account is respect for the rhythms of a PAS person. Respecting their rhythms means listening to what they need and adapting to it (always together with the other person, who must also adapt to us).
Take care of communication
Taking care of communication with a PAS person implies addressing them slowly and calmly, since noise often bothers them. It is not necessary to speak softly, simply moderate the tone and volume of the voice.
Empathize with them
PAS people feel very grateful when someone empathizes with them, because it is precisely what they do most with others; empathize. In addition, many times, feeling so overwhelmed by things, they need to “let off steam”, let go…
Don’t push
Try not to overburden the PAS person by proposing a thousand plans at full speed; As we said in a previous point, it will be important to respect their rhythms, their breaks…
It’s also not a good idea to pressure them to make decisions quickly or to explain their private things prematurely. Perhaps a person who is not a PAS would not be affected by all this, but someone who is so easily overwhelmed can be very overwhelmed.
The importance of flexibility
- These key ideas can serve as a guide, although we should not approach them as something to be applied strictly. In addition, we understand that relationships must always be balanced and both parties must “negotiate” how they wish to be treated.
- It is also important that all members of the relationship (whether as a couple or a group) feel free to express their needs, whether they are PAS or not.
- And you, do you feel identified with these characteristics? Do you think you could be a highly sensitive person? How do things affect you?
- Being PAS is not something good or bad; It is simply a way of being, of functioning and of feeling. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of these types of people will allow you to get to know yourself better (if you are the PAS) or better connect and understand PAS people.
“Sensitivity raises a barrier that intelligence cannot overcome.”
-Azorin-