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Sensitive: The Power of Feeling in a World That Doesn’t
Hannah Walker is a very sensitive person, along with at least a fifth of the population. Like many, she was conditioned to believe this was a weakness and a trait that she should try and overcome.
When she had her first child and realised that her little girl was sensitive too, Hannah decided to find out whether sensitivity might in fact be a positive trait. Her question led to some fascinating answers and ongoing research that suggests survival and thriving is not only limited to the fittest, but to the sensitive.
If you are someone, or know someone who sat at the edge of the party as a child, or waits to be sure about what you want to say only to never get a word in, or jumps at loud noises, or worries that you cry so easily at a beautiful piece of art, or that you just seem to feel so much (too much), this book reveals the strengths in these traits and also how we need to embrace them rather than be embarrassed by them.
People who are highly sensitive are highly caring, they are observant and notice new ways of doing things in difficult circumstances, they are able to follow their gut instincts (a real, scientific thing), they bring teams together, they listen well and are far more resilient than we've often been led to believe. The problem is that in today's noisy world, they often suffer from lower self-esteem and confidence levels.
Like Susan Cain's Quiet, which showed the power of introverts in an extrovert world, Sensitive overturns old cliches and stereotypes and suggests a new way of looking at a trait that people so often feel ashamed of but that has so much untapped potential.
When she had her first child and realised that her little girl was sensitive too, Hannah decided to find out whether sensitivity might in fact be a positive trait. Her question led to some fascinating answers and ongoing research that suggests survival and thriving is not only limited to the fittest, but to the sensitive.
If you are someone, or know someone who sat at the edge of the party as a child, or waits to be sure about what you want to say only to never get a word in, or jumps at loud noises, or worries that you cry so easily at a beautiful piece of art, or that you just seem to feel so much (too much), this book reveals the strengths in these traits and also how we need to embrace them rather than be embarrassed by them.
People who are highly sensitive are highly caring, they are observant and notice new ways of doing things in difficult circumstances, they are able to follow their gut instincts (a real, scientific thing), they bring teams together, they listen well and are far more resilient than we've often been led to believe. The problem is that in today's noisy world, they often suffer from lower self-esteem and confidence levels.
Like Susan Cain's Quiet, which showed the power of introverts in an extrovert world, Sensitive overturns old cliches and stereotypes and suggests a new way of looking at a trait that people so often feel ashamed of but that has so much untapped potential.
294 pages, Paperback
Published February 3, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 23, 2022
Really I wanted to give it 4 and a half stars.
I really identified with this book, the struggles and questions that Hannah expressed in this book are all experiences I have faced. I have always 'known' the things that Hannah has put into this book but it is good to see tangible evidence and research (...another example of how my sensitivity, constant questioning and big picturing is a thing, I don't know how I knew I just knew)
I hope that other sensitive people are able to relate but what I hope more is that people who don't identify as a HSP read this book and start to understand that we are not wrong, broken or malfunctioning, and that actually if life was just a little more accepting of all kinds of needs and people, what a world it could be, how glorious and happier everyone could be, not just a privileged few in our Western society.
I often say, if people could just think about everyone else's emotions and situations even less than half as much as I do it could be a much nicer, kinder and functioning place. Not to say I am the perfect person, but my work and life revolves around helping others.
Hannah, your acknowledgements gave me goosebumps and there was a definite tear and wobble in the voice when my partner asked me if I had finished the book and the answer was yes.
Thank you to my dear friend 'big sister' Vida, for buying me this book. I anticipate it is going to be shared around for a while, I hope the cover gets scuffed and pages expand from the reads and learning that will come from it.
Also texture of the cover was lovely...just saying...
I really identified with this book, the struggles and questions that Hannah expressed in this book are all experiences I have faced. I have always 'known' the things that Hannah has put into this book but it is good to see tangible evidence and research (...another example of how my sensitivity, constant questioning and big picturing is a thing, I don't know how I knew I just knew)
I hope that other sensitive people are able to relate but what I hope more is that people who don't identify as a HSP read this book and start to understand that we are not wrong, broken or malfunctioning, and that actually if life was just a little more accepting of all kinds of needs and people, what a world it could be, how glorious and happier everyone could be, not just a privileged few in our Western society.
I often say, if people could just think about everyone else's emotions and situations even less than half as much as I do it could be a much nicer, kinder and functioning place. Not to say I am the perfect person, but my work and life revolves around helping others.
Hannah, your acknowledgements gave me goosebumps and there was a definite tear and wobble in the voice when my partner asked me if I had finished the book and the answer was yes.
Thank you to my dear friend 'big sister' Vida, for buying me this book. I anticipate it is going to be shared around for a while, I hope the cover gets scuffed and pages expand from the reads and learning that will come from it.
Also texture of the cover was lovely...just saying...
August 10, 2023
Found this book so fascinating.
I am HIghly Sensitive myself and have know about this trait for quite a number of years. I am delighted that many more people are discovering it and that people like Hannah are talking about it in high profile forums. It's so vital that there is more recogntiton of the trait and what it means to live as a Highly Sensitive Person.
I work in supporting children's mental health and it is vital to have resources like this to point parents towards to help them understand their sensitive child and to parent them with sensitivity and care in order to allow them to flourish.
I am HIghly Sensitive myself and have know about this trait for quite a number of years. I am delighted that many more people are discovering it and that people like Hannah are talking about it in high profile forums. It's so vital that there is more recogntiton of the trait and what it means to live as a Highly Sensitive Person.
I work in supporting children's mental health and it is vital to have resources like this to point parents towards to help them understand their sensitive child and to parent them with sensitivity and care in order to allow them to flourish.
June 23, 2024
Really found this book fascinating and a lot of it resonated with myself. I liked the conversational way the interviews went, made it much less dry than many other books of this nature.
I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.
I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews