What comes to mind when you hear the term “highly sensitive person?”
Rachel Radway
Helping leaders who're wired a little differently create the conditions they need to thrive | Thought partner ? Advisor | Speaker | Author, "Perceptive" (2025)
Do you picture someone timid or soft-spoken?
Someone afraid to speak up or stand up for themselves? ?
Someone who doesn’t put themself out there or take risks?
Someone who works painfully slowly and methodically?
What else?
I’ve lived in 9 countries, 8 states and lots of towns and cities.
I’ve bought and sold homes and managed renovation projects in two of those countries, in two languages I wasn’t even close to fluent in.
I’ve flown in helicopters, hot air balloons, two-seater Cessnas and Piper Cubs, and a glider, and paraglided off a cliff in New Zealand.
I’ve had multiple careers and started a new one in my 50s.
No one who knows me would call me timid, afraid to speak up, or risk-averse. And for most of my life, I’ve walked and talked faster than everyone around me. Under the right conditions, I can still get twice as much done in a day as most people I know.
And on every self-assessment available for high sensitivity, I score close to 100%.
?
I know C-suite executives and senior vice presidents who are highly sensitive. There are tons of entrepreneurs and business owners who qualify. And many, many celebrities of all kinds.
There are, of course, people who fit the stereotype—and many, many more who don’t.
Sensitivity gets a bad rap.
I use the term “high sensory perception,” because one thing we all have in common is that we’re highly perceptive.
We perceive—see, hear, or sense—all sorts of information from our environment. Our brains don’t filter out as much as those of 70% of the population do. So we’re always picking up on things that others aren’t.
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? Which means we’re usually insightful and intuitive.
? Good at making connections and seeing several steps ahead.
? Terrific at reading a room.
? Able to see both the details and the big picture at the same time.
? Excellent problem-solvers who won’t rest until we find the answers.
? Lifelong learners and multipotentialites (explained in my June 12 newsletter ) who get joy from acquiring new skills and knowledge, not only for the sake of learning, but also to share with others.
?
Wouldn’t these skills be valuable to your team? Your company?
?
Elaine Aron, the psychologist who coined the term “highly sensitive person” for the trait in the late 1990s has said she might use different language were she to do it all over again.
It’s a personality trait with a genetic and neurobiological basis—a type of neurodivergence, like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and others, although there’s no diagnosis for it (it’s not considered a disorder) and many healthcare providers aren’t familiar with it.
Just like these other traits—and just like everyone else’s unique brain—it comes with superpowers and challenges, “strengths and struggles,” as Clare Kumar, AuDHD HSP ?? , host of the Happy Space Podcast, says.
Has your perception changed at all from reading this? If so, how? If not, what comes to mind for you?
And how can we as a culture move beyond the labels and start focusing on the humans, and leveraging the gifts we all bring with us?
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?? Intrigued? DM me. Know another woman leader who might be interested? Please share this with her.
AI Growth Hacker | Expert in Scaling Businesses using AI-powered Cold Outreach Marketing Techniques | Cold Marketing Maverick
3 个月Rachel, Appreciate you sharing this!
Data, Strategy and Team-Building
3 个月One of the words I’ve learned to call my self is “brave”. When I weather so many situations that are overwhelming for me on a regular basis, I have built up an ability to walk into even harder things that others won’t or don’t. The people who cry at the drop of a hat are somehow also able to navigate huge problems. Let’s talk about those successes instead, and inspire children to keep their sensitivity and use it to be strong and brave. ???? And take naps ??
Parenting Coach for Highly Sensitive Children | Empowering Families to Celebrate Sensitivity as a Strength | Expert in Somatic Techniques to Regulate the Nervous System
3 个月I love this! You have described the misconception of HSP so well. Everything you say here resonates with me. I love the point you make about life long learners and how we learn not just to gain knowledge but to share the knowledge that we gain and in my opinion we do this because we have a passion for helping others. Thanks for the great write up. I hope this article helps educate people and corporations about the superpowers that HSP possess and how unique only 20-30% of the global population are highly sensitive. ??
CHIEF REIMAGINATOR | 360° NATION | KEYNOTER
3 个月Great question, Rachel – To break down and break through unhelpful stereotypes, we need a multifaceted approach that includes education, exposure, and empathy. By learning accurate information about different groups, interacting with diverse individuals, and actively challenging our own biases, we can start to dismantle stereotypes. Media representation, inclusive policies, and open dialogue also play crucial roles in reshaping societal perceptions. Ultimately, it requires a conscious effort to recognize stereotypes when they arise, question their validity, and replace them with more nuanced, individualized understandings of people and cultures.
?Alignment - Transformation - Expansion?for sensitive, empathic women in midlife ?Stop feeling empty and lost, but confident and empowered ?believe in self, speak your truth, BE VISIBLE and unconditionally YOU?
3 个月I used to have all those preconceptions in my mind, and was also living some of these scenarios myself before I learned what highly sensitive really meant, and realized, that I am one myself! Now, I am fiercely proud of it and embrace it fully! Great article!