The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You

Although the two terms are often confused, sensitivity and shyness are not the same. Moreover, the term “shyness” bears negative connotations and a “hidden prejudice” of which HSPs should be aware, often connoting “anxious, awkward, fearful, inhibited, and timid” (92). Arguing that the term “shy” is “inaccurate, negative, and self-fulfilling” (94), Aron stakes a claim that people commonly labeled “shy” are actually HSPs who are easily overaroused.

In place of “shy,” Aron proposes the term “social discomfort.” She argues that this is a malleable situation, over which we have a good deal of control. In situations that create overarousal, HSPs can find ways to cope by imagining containers (See: Index of Terms) or by adopting a “persona” to mask their high sensitivity or convert it into an air of mystery.

Another category related to high sensitivity and “shyness” is introversion. All human beings are social, but they are social in different ways. Introverts (some of whom are HSPs, and vice versa) “go for quality, not quantity” (98), opting for “a few close relationships rather than a large circle of friends” (98). However, some HSPs are extraverts, enjoying large groups and circles of friends but still finding overstimulating situations difficult.