While I’m considered a gentleman, good looking and a “super cool dude”, I realize that the bulk of my suffering is caused by being highly sensitive. As a child, I remember being told that I “felt too much”, and at times I think that still holds true. Because from about the age of 10 onward up until recent years, I grew up being surrounded by a lot of negatives, so I have a hard time accepting compliments. I just don’t want them to go to my head. It even affects how I spend money sometimes. For example, the other day I bought myself a $50 iTunes gift card and I still had a considerable amount of money left in my chequeing account. To some extent I still feel kind of guilty. The point I’m trying to make is, I get so intense still and I wrack myself with guilt about the silliest things. I’ve been told that people with mental illness are very sensitive. Does this hold true for any of you? If so, how do you turn your sensitivity down to better cope in the world?
Its good to be sensitive. Im sensitive and I think being sensitive maeks me better able to understand and relate to people. Keep ebing sensitive. Its shows youre a nice person.
When I try to figure out why we might be sensitive I come back to the theory that as infants and on up we were never able to close the door and protect ourselves from the negatives that would affect us at that age where we were absorbing everything and analyzing it. and the theory goes on to suggest that we are sensitized to being sensitive to those things that affect our brains and minds in such a way, for there was no door to close on the negative world we found ourselves feeling vulnerable in but we are better able to read the signs that warn us of these negativities earlier then others do. I think that’s part of the reason anyways.
And perhaps that is why we feel like we are naked most of the time. Something wrong with the basic defense mechanism, which I no little about so I am just guessing, but if I were a doctor and scientist I probably could figure it out for sure one way or another.
The only thing is we still have a problem with internalizing things and not realizing that sometimes, it’s not our fault. I’m not saying I want to be a psychopath, or to a lesser extent, a narcissist. I just don’t like too much sensitivity and I think you can have too much of a good thing. We can suffer needlessly.
I think I’m a hypocrite, as I’m sensitive, but am no longer sensitive towards others. I’ve just been worn down I think. I was a doormat for too long.
I also got criticized for my tendancy to internalize what other people say. I go over what other people say to me and what I think in my mind so much; it’s almost painful.