When I was in kindergarten, a boy in my class tossed my favorite book over our elementary school fence. I remember crying profusely, not because I was sad to see it go, but because I was so furious that he was such a bully. It was probably one of the first times I expressed my sensitivity to my peers -- a rollercoaster I still continue to ride each day.
Many of my friends lovingly tease me about my emotional reactivity, but it's certainly not like I can control it. Some people are just more sensitive than others, and that's not always a bad thing. I'm also not alone: Approximately one in five people -- women and men -- can be classified HSP, or as a highly sensitive person, according to HSP researcher and psychologist Elaine Aron, Ph.D. That makes it highly likely you know and love someone with the personality trait.