Too many people are far too sensitive to slights; they over-interpret and take things far too personally. To the extent that this habit distracts you from what is really going on it is largely counterproductive. When you are oversensitive you are sucking reality into your own psychodrama. This must make you less objective and less balanced in your appraisal of real situations. For my own preliminary remarks on the topic, link here.
Brown suggests that today's increased hypersensitivity derives from our economic crisis. People have lost jobs, they see other people losing jobs, they feel that their way of life is threatened as never before.
All of this amounts to the kind of loss of status, stature, and prestige that can easily produce what the psychiatrists call depression. Certainly, it is part of a shame/rejection paradigm.
How has Brown learned how to deal with her own hypersensitivity? In her words: "I still hate feeling left out, but when I hear coworkers chatting excitedly about something, I get up and walk over to them instead of waiting for them to be invited to join the conversation.
Doing something is always better than sitting and stewing."
As it happens that is the same advice I found in David Silverman's article-- see the last post-- and it is still valid. My only regret is that some people will read this advice, or Silverman's advice to keep moving, and think that it is too easy and simple, thus that it is beneath their dignity.
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