By Rachel Puryear
There’s a lot of discussion out there about empathic people, aka empaths, or so-called “highly sensitive people (or HSP)”. These folks make up about 20% of the human population across all demographics (and similar proportions of many other animal species).
Empathic people tend to notice sensory subtleties in their environment, feel things deeply, be easily moved by art and music, awareness of others’ needs and high empathy for them, and sometimes need down time and rest more than others do when they get overwhelmed.
Another trait in some people is known as being high sensation seeking, aka HSS. High sensation seeking people crave novelty, adventure, fun, and excitement. They may be willing to take more risks than other people, and tend to enjoy high sensory stimulation.
People can be empathic, high sensation seeking, neither, or both. The two traits seem inconsistent, but thanks to the fact that they’re controlled by different parts of the brain, they can co-occur in the same person. People with both traits are also called HSS/HSP.
About a third of empathic/highly sensitive people are also high sensation seeking, so about 7% of the total population has the combination of these traits.
So what does it mean to be HSS/HSP? How might one know whether or not they are? How can they be distinguished from people who are HSS or HSP, but not both?
As an HSS/HSP myself, here are some suggested subtle signs that you are both empathic/highly sensitive and also high sensation seeking:
You Crave Adventure, But in an Unusually Safe Way
Being high sensation seeking gives one a desire to do fun and exciting new things. However, for the HSS/HSP, that doesn’t necessarily have to mean bungee jumping, sky diving, or mountain climbing (though some might enjoy these activities). Our sports don’t have to be extreme to satisfy our sense of adventure.
We might enjoy sports and activities that are fun and energetic – and maybe even a little bit rough, all in good fun – but that aren’t too dangerous or violent. We likely also enjoy traveling – using RV’s and vans is ideal for us, as we can see new places while still having our own space. Furthermore, we enjoy meeting kindred spirits, and will scope out events likely to attract the right kind of people for us.
You Suddenly Become a Lot More Outgoing With the Right Kind of People
People might often view you as quiet, shy, or aloof. Because they’ve observed you being that way in many social situations.
That is, until they see you with people you’re really comfortable around. Then, you light up and become a whole different person.
If you’ve never been around people you can truly be yourself with, you might surprise yourself with how much you open up when you finally find your own tribe.
You’re Frequently Torn Between Wanting More Rest and Relaxation, But Also More Fun and Experiences
There’s a saying that being an HSS/HSP is like living life with one foot on the brake, and one on the gas. I think that’s really spot-on.
The HSS part wants to keep going and do more, while the HSP part wants to slow down and relax. Although it’s not always an easy way to be, I still wouldn’t choose any other way to be.
You Appreciate Dark Humor
Note: Dark humor is not the same thing as cruel humor. Dark humor tends to be intelligent and thoughtful yet disturbing, usually tapping into parts of us we like to keep hidden even from ourselves, and often providing social commentary and deeper meaning – while cruel humor is just mean-spirited and one-dimensional, intended primarily as schoolyard taunts without offering anything more substantial, and is usually couched in something like “telling it like it is”. Also, when in doubt, typically dark humor punches up, while cruel humor kicks down. If you’re an HSS/HSP, you’ll likely intuitively understand such distinctions.
Many people who are HSP (empathic), but not also HSS, often report that they are unable to enjoy horror and other gruesome movies and stories. That’s certainly understandable, and even many non-HSP folks are also upset by depictions of violence.
However, while HSS/HSP people are also typically disturbed by portrayals of violence due to their empathic nature, their sensation seeking nature will also tend to give them a sense of morbid curiosity, and a desire to explore darker subjects nonetheless. But we’ll likely reach our fill sooner than others.
Furthermore, portrayal of scary stories and subject matter is made much more tolerable for us if it’s portrayed in a funny way. We tend to appreciate black comedy, and humor helps us a great deal in enjoying stories we might otherwise find unpalatable.
You Enjoy High Stimulation Sometimes – Alternated With Quiet and Calm
The HSS/HSP person can seem a bit unpredictable to others. Some days, they might want to have fun, play a lot, and be busy. Other days, they might be couch potatoes, and want to curl up and do something quiet.
Ideally, it’s best for us to try and build some of both kinds of days into our schedules.
Your Energy Levels Vary A Lot From Day to Day
An HSS/HSP person needs plenty of both fun and relaxation, so they’ll likely be tired on the days after the former – though, hopefully, happy nonetheless. If they got plenty of relaxation the day before, then they’ll likely have a higher energy level the next day. It can feel like kind of a cycle for us.
You Come Up With Strangely Great Ideas
The combination of being high sensation seeking and highly sensitive/empathic tends to give us great problem solving abilities. These people tend to consider more unconventional possibilities, notice options that many others haven’t thought of, and have keen insight into what others really need – leading to plenty of ideas that are both unusual and awesome.
You Analyze the World Quite a Bit, and See More Complexity Than Most
The HSS/HSP person’s views of the world typically aren’t captured well in sound bites – or even in quick explanations. That’s because they really tend to dig deep, think through issues, and see lots of nuances.
If you ask them for their opinion on an issue or event or problem, be prepared for an in-depth response – one which they might also need more time to think on before giving the answer they feel it deserves. The wait, however, is likely worth it.
They may be accused at times of splitting hairs, making things too complicated, or frustrating people by not fitting their thoughts and feelings into neat categories. However, they just see a lot of shades of gray that others might miss or overlook, and they often wish just as much that more people would look at things as carefully and deeply as they do.
You’re Highly Creative
High sensitivity will tend to produce a lot of creativity naturally. High sensation seeking will also further enhance that creativity by driving a person to explore more, try more, and act more. An HSS/HSP person can often become a prolific artist, writer, or creative professional.
It would not be at all surprising if both HSP and also HSS/HSP people made up more than their share of artists in the world. They probably do.
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Thank you, dear readers, for reading, following, and sharing. Here’s to thriving as an HSS/HSP. If you enjoyed this post and want to see more like it, please hit “like” and subscribe, if you have not already.
Check out my other blog, too – Free Range Life, at https://freerangelife.net. It’s about road trips to the outdoors, traveling while fat, wealth and economic philosophy, remote/passive income streams, and van/RV life.
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