49 pages • 1 hour read
The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You
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Preface-Chapter 2Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Preface Summary
Although not prized in modern culture and frequently teased or criticized as a defect, high sensitivity is “normal, a basically neutral trait” (xxxix). High sensitivity is usually inherited and is present in 15-20 percent of the population. It offers both challenges (like difficulty handling overstimulation) and marked advantages (including a subtle awareness of surroundings). Aron introduces the book as a guidebook for highly sensitive persons (HSP). It will provide information about the trait, advice about challenges HSPs face, and guidance for non-HSPs (as well as those who are moderately sensitive) on having close relationships with HSPs. Aron will also discuss different kinds of therapy for symptoms of high sensitivity.
More specifically, the book will follow a “fourfold approach” consisting of the following elements:
- Self-knowledge
- Reframing
- Healing
- Help with achieving the right level of involvement in the world
Aron lays out her own background and credentials as a psychologist, professor, psychotherapist, and novelist who is an HSP. She provides some details about her childhood, education, and personal life, and she describes the therapy session that opened the door to exploring her own high sensitivity. The book is the product of several years of research and teaching about high sensitivity, a trait about which almost nothing had been written before.
