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Highly sensitive people are often deeply moved by beauty in art and nature. This is a pretty cool aspect of being an HSP.
In Episode 12 of the Highly Sensitive Person Podcast, I talk about interesting stuff like Stedhal Syndrome and the beauty threshold.
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As promised, here’s my collection of favorite flower photos:
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Podcast music attribution: By the Coast (2004) (Antony Raijekov) / CC BY-NC 2.
Hi. Thanks for changing the intro music. The new music is much better.
Once again, thanks for doing the podcast. It’s great. Keep’em coming.
Glad you like the new music!! Thanks for the comment! 🙂
I see gorgeous things and my breath is caught in my throat. To this day, I have a few gorgeous things, typically landscapes or natural structures that I carry around to reflect on. Love the beauty threshold theory. NOT a bunch of hogwash.
As a florist and a (recently discovered) HSP, I found this episode so interesting! I have felt this way for as long as I can remember. When I walk through the world, I often have my breath taken away by seemingly mundane things, an oak tree in autumn, a fully opened rose with its petals curled back, etc. I remark on these things and people look at my like I’m crazy. I’m so glad I’m not alone in this! I feel lucky to be able to experience so much beauty in my life.
Thanks for your comment, Kei! Just today I was walking through a neighborhood and passed a house with tons of flowers. I slowed down to take a better look and it crossed my mind that anyone looking at me might think I was strange. Or that it was weird that I was “staring at someone’s house.” So you are definitely not alone, and this is one of the nice things about being HSP 🙂 Glad you liked the podcast!
I think the theory of “beauty sensitivity” can goes in conjunction with our quest for perfection. We long for things to be the way they were originally designed to be (think: Garden of Eden). So, when we see something that is perfect, or very close to that, we are delighted. Unfortunately, I think this also applies to my desire for perfection in a physical sense: I am often bothered and saddened when my own imperfections affect how I feel about my self-worth. I do know that no one focuses on our flaws more than ourselves, though. Anytime I’ve ever been complimented on my beauty, I assume the person is patronizing me, but maybe they have a different beauty threshold and do appreciate the beauty that I have, even though I can’t see it.
Hi Andi, thanks for this interesting comment. As I am getting older I am noticing changes in my physical appearance, too–and not good ones. It is hard for me to accept, and I realize (like you said) how much of my self-worth is tied to my appearance, which is upsetting. :/
This might be a VERY late reply to an old comment, but I feel to ask. How much of that do you think is cultural vs self imposed even without being told or surrounded by culture that has high demands for what perfection is believed to be?
I for one, while growing up, am affected by the fact that I’ve put on weight, but even as a young child before I could even speak, I’ve never felt myself as “me”. I don’t feel my human appearance, or even senses are applicable to my inner self.
hope you are reading this…this is very close to what I feel like. I can second many things that I am reading here. It’s a bit hard to read that especially the people how appreciate beauty/ music/ art are their own hardest critics. You probably would not be that hard on anyone else, right…You’d see their imperfections as charming. Which they are. Like that flower down on the right. It’s not perfectly symmetrical, and that is it’s actual beauty.
(sorry if there are any “language flaws”, not a native speaker)
Thank you for changing the opening music!! Luckily, Spotify has an option to skip 15 seconds forward, but the new music is a much better solution.
I just started listening to your podcast, and this particular one really spoke to me. I’m an HSP (I just found out what HSP meant last year). I am an outdoor enthusiast, and so experience beauty in many respects – flowers, mountain views, wildlife. I often feel like I want to take it ALL in, take all the details in, but I feel like I cannot. . . Exactly what you are talking about in this podcast! When I mention this beauty to my friends or my husband, they often agree that it’s beautiful, but I know that they are not appreciating it like I am. The only other person that understands this is my sister, who is also an HSP. I’ve heard HSP is maybe a genetic trait, which would make sense. Thanks for your podcast!