They display all the characteristics of high sensitivity, but forcefully deny and reject the possibility that they are "sensitive." The have fully bought the concept of the boys' club and conventional ideas about how men "should" behave. Over the years, I've discovered that HS Men fit loosely into three distinct categories:Ĭategory 1 - This is typically the largest group. HS Men typically favor "cooperative" problem solving over "competitive" problem solving.HS Men have typically had fewer sexual partners by age 30 than their non-HSP counterparts.HS Men typically start dating and relationships later in life than non-HSPs.HS Men are typically highly intelligent, conscientious and and hard working, but tend to underachieve at work, relative to their skill levels.HS Men tend to have fairly low involvement/participation in typically male "posturing" and "territoriality" behaviors.HS Men are often more "right-brained" and intuitive rather than "left-brained" and logical, unlike about 75% of the male population.
HS Men tend to be drawn to the arts and creative pursuits and often have limited interest in "traditionally male" pursuits like hunting, working on cars and watching sports on TV.HS Men spend more time in solitary pursuits than most men.
Heterosexual HS Men have often been told they are "effeminate" and frequently misidentified as gay.HS Men were often not interested in- or good at- team sports, while in school.HS Men often have more female than male friends, but are not necessarily "sexually involved" with their female friends (if heterosexual).HS Men are often soft spoken and "yielding," rather than forceful and assertive.Of course, these are just superficial characteristics. At best, he can hope to be labeled as a "sensitive New Age guy" and might become a bit of a "ridiculous character"-at worst, he is perceived as a "weakling," "sissy," or not a "real" man. With very few exceptions, a sensitive man is labeled negatively the instant he identifies himself (or is identified) as such. In some instances, "being sensitive" may even be regarded as a positive attribute. The woman may be regarded as "fickle," "high maintenance" and "a fragile flower," but it may not all be framed in a negative light. I'm by no means implying that being a highly sensitive woman is easy I am just pointing to the fact that the phrase "SHE is so sensitive!" doesn't carry the depth of negative connotations attached to the phrase "HE is so sensitive!"Ī highly sensitive woman will struggle with precisely the same issues of overstimulation and overwhelm as a highly sensitive man however, public perception will be different.
Whereas it may seem a bit unfair, it is a fact that most western societies regard sensitive men and sensitive women quite differently.