World Class Hugs

By Rachel Puryear

In case you missed it, I’ve written here before about highly sensitive (empathic) people who are also high sensation seeking (abbreviated HSS/HSP) – as well as types of activities they likely tend to enjoy.

In short; these awesome folks tend to have deep empathy, heightened awareness of their environment and what’s going on with others around them, conscientiousness, and be deeply moved by art and music – all due to their high sensitivity.

At the same time, thanks to their also being high sensation seeking; they tend to crave novelty and variety, adventure, and are highly curious. These two sets of traits can occur together independently, since they are governed by different parts of the brain.

Accordingly, people who are both highly sensitive and high sensation seeking tend to not fit in well with typical mainstream society. They are usually free spirits who like to live life on their own terms. Of course, the same can also be said of many who are just one of those things, but it’s probably especially so for those who are both.

Therefore, something that likely distinguishes HSS/HSP folks is that they tend to live relatively unconventional lifestyles, compared with many of their peers. Here are some examples:

Counterculture

Many people think of hippies in the 1960s when they think of “counterculture”. Certainly, this is one of the best known countercultures – but there are many others.

Countercultures decidedly go against prevailing social norms – sometimes being a refuge for people who need them, sometimes also advocating for social change.

A few more examples of countercultures include civil rights activists, nudists, artist communities, some (non-mainstream) spiritual communities (but not cults), sex positive, raves, goths, punks, and digital nomads (see more about this one below).

Nomads

With remote income options becoming a more viable option for many more workers, some are taking advantage of the opportunity this presents to become digital nomads – people who travel frequently, or even full time, while earning their living on the road.

While such a lifestyle certainly isn’t exclusive to HSS/HSP folks, you can bet that it’s popular with this segment of the population. For those who can swing it; it’s a great way to satisfy both our need for adventure and novelty; while also appreciating natural beauty, learning about different cultures, and maybe even bringing some comforts of home along with us.

Chosen Families

Given that HSS/HSP people often have a hard time fitting in; when they find people who are like them – basically, weird like themselves – they will treasure that person, and want to hold onto that friendship or relationship.

Accordingly, as these folks go through life, they will tend to build their own chosen families – friends who feel like family, and who they can really be themselves around.

That doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t still love, or can’t also be close to and maintain great relationships with, their blood families – that will depend upon individual circumstances. It simply means that there’s a very special connection with their chosen families, given the feeling of fitting in and being fully accepted for exactly who they already are.

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Check out my other blog, too – Free Range Life, at https://freerangelife.net.

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