Highly sensitive people (HSPs) are individuals with a sensitive nervous system that processes information more deeply. Approximately 15-20% of the population are estimated to be HSPs. HSPs tend to be more aware of subtleties in their environment and are more easily overwhelmed by intense stimuli. This leads many HSPs to be more emotionally reactive and empathetic. But does this translate to higher emotional intelligence for HSPs? Here we’ll explore what emotional intelligence is, the components of emotional intelligence, and whether HSP traits lend themselves to higher EI.
What is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence (EI) is defined as the ability to perceive, understand, regulate, and leverage emotions in oneself and others. It involves both awareness of emotions and the ability to manage them. The concept was first introduced by researchers Peter Salovey and John Mayer in the 1990s and popularized by psychologist Daniel Goleman.
EI consists of four main domains:
Self-Awareness
The ability to recognize your own emotions and understand their impact. This includes having a clear picture of your strengths, weaknesses, values, motivations, and goals.
Self-Management
The ability to regulate your emotions, control impulses, and adapt to changing circumstances. This involves managing stress, controlling anger, thinking before acting, and delaying gratification.
Social Awareness
The ability to understand others’ perspectives, empathize with people different from yourself, and recognize the emotions of a group. This requires picking up on emotional cues, understanding different viewpoints, and sensing unspoken tension in a room.
Relationship Management
The ability to develop and maintain good relationships, communicate clearly, inspire and influence others, work well in a team, and manage conflict. This involves social competencies like leadership skills, effective communication, change management, and conflict resolution.
HSP Traits Related to Emotional Intelligence
Many innate traits of highly sensitive people seem beneficial for emotional intelligence. Here are some of the key areas where HSPs are likely to excel:
Depth of Processing
A critical aspect of EI is recognizing subtle cues related to emotions in yourself and others. HSPs tend to process information more deeply, noticing subtle details and nuances. This propensity for depth of processing would aid emotional perception.
Empathy
HSPs tend to be very empathetic, feeling others’ emotions as if they were their own. Empathy is central to the EI domains of social awareness and relationship management. The innate empathy of HSPs should be an asset for understanding people’s perspectives and fostering strong relationships.
Intuition & Creativity
Making sense of emotions requires intuition and creativity. HSPs often have a strong intuitive side and excel at creative tasks. This can translate to coming up with effective ways to manage challenging emotional situations using both logical analysis and creative thinking.
Conscientiousness
Many HSPs are conscientious, careful, and thoughtful regarding their actions. Conscientiousness correlates positively with EI capabilities like self-control, diligence, and consideration of future consequences of current actions.
Openness to Experience
Openness is linked to greater engagement with inner feelings. The openness of HSPs to their inner experience likely contributes to emotional awareness and personal growth in managing their feelings.
Strong Reactivity
The intensity with which HSPs experience emotions can serve as a catalyst for developing EI skills to cope with their reactivity. Learning to regulate overstimulation may strengthen self-management and self-awareness.
Potential Challenges for HSPs
Despite these advantages, HSPs also face some challenges that could impair EI development:
Overwhelm
Too much sensory input can overwhelm HSPs, making it hard to calmly perceive and analyze emotional cues when stressed. Finding healthy ways to manage stimulation is key to using their sensitivity as a strength.
Social Withdrawal
Some HSPs become overstimulated and withdraw from social situations to cope. But social contact is necessary to build emotional skills. Finding the right balance of social engagement is important.
Perfectionism
Tendencies toward intense self-reflection and perfectionism can hamper self-acceptance – an important part of EI. Letting go of perfectionism allows more authentic self-awareness.
Deep Processing Without Judgment
HSPs may process emotions intensely yet in a non-judgmental way. But evaluating the appropriateness of feelings is important for EI. HSPs should consciously develop their judgment skills.
Risk Aversion
High risk aversion in HSPs could inhibit acting on intuitive insights about people. Taking smart risks to test intuitions helps improve social awareness and relationship skills.
Research on HSPs and Emotional Intelligence
Limited research has directly examined emotional intelligence in HSPs compared to non-HSPs. One study by Giulia Pancani (2019) assessed HSPs and non-HSPs on the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) – a validated measure of EI.
The study found that being highly sensitive correlated moderately with overall emotional intelligence on the MSCEIT. However, there were no significant differences between HSPs and non-HSPs on most branches of EI measured: identifying emotions, using emotions to think, understanding emotions, and managing emotions.
HSPs did score higher on the emotional perceiving branch. This aligns with the expectation that their depth of processing would aid accurately perceiving emotions. But their overall EI was on par with non-HSPs.
More research directly comparing HSPs and non-HSPs could reveal clearer patterns. But existing findings suggest high sensitivity may confer both advantages and disadvantages for developing emotional intelligence – not necessarily higher EI across the board.
Developing Emotional Intelligence as an HSP
Regardless of whether HSPs start with an EI advantage, they can actively develop their emotional skills through practice like anyone else. Some tips for HSPs to develop their emotional intelligence:
Find optimal stimulation levels
Monitor your environment to find the sensory levels where you can be fully present. Too much input interferes with perceiving emotions.
Control reactions
HSPs tend to have strong emotional reactions. Practice regulating your responses using techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and cognitive reframing.
Improve judgment skills
Complement your emotional perception with good judgment about which feelings to act on. Seek feedback from others.
Test your intuitions
Check your intuitive hunches about people’s emotions by asking them directly. This helps improve empathy and relationship skills.
Face fears
Move toward social situations you may avoid. Interacting with others regularly develops social awareness, even when uncomfortable.
Accept imperfections
Let go of rigid high standards for yourself and others. Accepting flaws fosters authentic self-awareness.
Reflect on growth
Regularly review your progress on EI competencies. Self-reflection promotes continual improvement.
Here is a helpful table summarizing tips for HSPs to build their EI:
| EI Area | Tips for HSPs |
|---|---|
| Self-Awareness | Accept imperfections, reflect on growth |
| Self-Management | Find optimal stimulation, control reactions |
| Social Awareness | Test your intuitions, face fears |
| Relationship Management | Improve judgment skills |
Conclusion
In summary, existing research has not found large differences in overall emotional intelligence between HSPs and non-HSPs. High sensitivity seems to confer some advantages through deep processing, empathy, and intuition. But potential pitfalls like overwhelm and perfectionism may offset these strengths. Ultimately, HSPs can actively develop their EI over time like anyone else through practices that optimize their innate skills. With mindfulness to develop areas of weakness, HSPs can leverage their natural abilities to excel in emotional perception and empathy while building competency in judgment, self-management, and social skills.