Many people describe themselves as “sensitive,” but for about 15–20% of the population, sensitivity is more than just a personality trait—it’s a natural, research-based temperament called sensory processing sensitivity. People with this trait are often referred to as Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs), a term introduced by Dr. Elaine Aron in the 1990s.
At the heart of this trait is a tendency to process information more deeply. HSPs notice more, reflect more, and connect what they experience to memories and patterns from the past—often without realizing they’re doing it. This thoughtful style of processing can bring empathy, insight, creativity, and careful decision-making. At the same time, it can also mean that highly stimulating environments feel overwhelming.
The D.O.E.S of High Sensitivity
To explain the key elements of sensitivity, Dr. Aron created the acronym D.O.E.S. This framework helps describe the four common features of high sensitivity:
D – Depth of Processing
HSPs naturally reflect and analyze. When they encounter new information, they often pause to connect it to past experiences, meaning they tend to think things through in a way that others might not.
O – Overstimulation
Because they’re taking in so much detail and processing it deeply, HSPs can become overstimulated in busy, noisy, or high-pressure situations. This isn’t a weakness—it’s simply a sign of a nervous system working on “high volume.”
E – Emotional Responsiveness & Empathy
Highly sensitive people usually feel emotions strongly and are especially attuned to the feelings of others. This makes them deeply compassionate, though it also means they can sometimes take on more emotional weight than they intend to.
S – Sensitivity to Subtleties
HSPs often notice the fine details others overlook—small changes in someone’s tone of voice, subtle shifts in lighting, or the energy in a room. This attentiveness allows them to spot patterns, create beauty, and sense when something is “off.”
How This Trait Differs from Other Labels
High sensitivity is not the same as anxiety, introversion, or a disorder such as autism spectrum. While there can be overlaps in experience, sensitivity itself is a distinct, inherited temperament. Some HSPs are outgoing, others are quiet—what unites them is the way they process the world.
Quick Reflection: Could You Be a HSP?
Consider these questions:
Do you need downtime after busy or exciting days?
Are you strongly moved by art, music, or nature?
Do you notice details in your environment that others miss?
Do you feel the emotions of people around you almost as if they were your own?
Do you prefer to take your time making decisions?
If many of these sound familiar, you may find that the framework of high sensitivity helps explain your experience
I recently had the opportunity to read Candy’s book, Beautifully Aware: A Year of Sensitive Living. As I processed what I’d read, all I could think was that her authentic self-expression was truly a gift.
It is the gift of words from one Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) to another, the gift of interpreting the world through a unique lens, yet with our shared language.
It is the gift of validation, of not-aloneness, of being seen by a human you’ve never met, but who “gets” you on a deep level.
It is the gift of herself. Candy gives readers a peek into corners of her soul, moments of her existence, snapshots of her world. She explores how HSPs have the capacity to enter the depths and heights emotions, senses, and experiences. She models the courage this takes and the mess it makes.
I have a Spiderman-loving eight year old HSP son. He and I often talk about how to manage his “spidey senses” – how cool it is that he can feel others’ feelings, that he wants to stand up for what is right, and that he has to remember to eat! He knows he has a gift but that he must use it well, for “with great power comes great responsibility”.
So it is for us grown-ups with spidey senses. Our trait bestows upon us its joys and challenges (whether we like it or not) and this is where I see Beautifully Aware being the most useful – Candy gifts the reader a gentle guidebook to the responsibility and the power of being a Highly Sensitive Person.