Book Review: Sensitive
Sensitive people, it seems, are the varsity athletes of empathy
There aren’t many books that speak to me, nor do they give me a bright ‘lightbulb’ moment in my brain. The last book to do that was ‘Quiet’ by Susan Cain and that was because I identified with introversion, her theories, scientific hypothesis and conclusion resonated deeply with me. I picked up ‘Sensitive’ by Jenn Granneman and Anre Sólo because I was often called ‘sensitive’ as a child. But it was always a bad thing - I was always told ‘Oh you’re too sensitive’ because I cried easily or got frustrated at seemingly innocuous things. It turns out I function very differently and feel a lot differently than the people I have around me. There was a lot of shame growing up with being sensitive and I’m female. It would’ve been worse if I was male. However, Granneman and Sólo claim sensitivity is a superpower.
For sensitive people, the world is not just a spectrum of colours - it’s a series of timbres and vibrations - a slight key change in the fabric of emotive reality. Essentially, we feel everything so deeply. There are pros and cons to this which the book outlines. For example, the book argues that our sensitivity makes us great leaders and citizens because we care about the people around us. We strive to make the workplace harmonious and seek to invest in the people who make up the team or we make great artists and creatives because our environment constantly stimulates us. The book also has some really handy checklists and tips to stay focused and on top of things - if you have a sensitive child there are some amazing tips on how to talk to a sensitive child. There are checklists where you can explore your sensitivity - not everyone checks all the boxes because sensitivity cannot be categorised!
That being said, there are downsides to this: we do get overstimulated quite easily which means we have to change how we work and approach the working world in a way that suits us but appears idiosyncratic to the rest. Our empathy can be draining on our psyche and physical wellbeing. The book found that those working in education or healthcare burn out very quickly as they are working in overdrive to soothe their patients or students. As for people who are in the general workforce - you are allowed to voice your needs and not feel like you’re an inconvenience or being a pain in the neck to your boss. Trust me, you’re not. But if you’re asking for a Lamborghini… then yes - that is a silly request, what the heck are you doing? My point is, everyone wants to be part of the ecosystem in the workplace, especially if it is somewhere you enjoy. If you think certain changes to the way you work are necessary and will bring out the most productivity? Then go for it!
In conclusion, this book was a really good read - perhaps not as academically in-depth as ‘Quiet’. But still enlightening and very relatable for me. It’s a great book if you have someone who is considered to be ‘sensitive’ or perhaps a child who has sensitive traits. Please remember that there was a lot of stigma for the person in your life who was told they were sensitive so please be as empathetic as you can. Reading this book could help you understand them a little more.