Wednesday, February 08, 2006

HSP Topics: Love, dating and finding "The One"

In my near-decade of knowing about the HSP trait, and HSPs, the issue of "love and mating" appears to be one that causes an especially large number of headaches and heartaches for Highly Sensitive People.

On the surface, this is perhaps not so surprising. Looking at it logically, HSPs tend to struggle immensely with feeling "accepted" in the world, and they often struggle with self-acceptance, as well. Hence it doesn't take a degree in rocket science to figure out that these difficulties would readily transfer to the process of "finding love," as well.

Elaine Aron and other "experts" on the HSP trait speculate that many HSPs tend to "fall into" relationships. There can be a variety of reasons for this, ranging from simply accepting a connection that feels "somewhat good" (because it feels so much "better" than what we're used to), to getting "pushed" into a relationship with someone who moves "quickly," while we HSPs like to take time to process and deliberate, before making a decision.

In one of the online HSP discussion groups, the issue of dating and mating recently seemed to approach "boiling point" when someone posted an article about a woman who was previously very selective, but made a conscious decision to say "yes" to every single man who asked her on a date. In the final outcome, she dated some 150 people, but did end up finding "The One," as a result of her change in approach.

Now, whether you subscribe to such a notion as a love relationship with a person who's "The One," or not, is an individual matter that's not for me to decide. I happen to be a hopeless idealist who does believe in such a thing, but that's neither here nor there. I think the general ideas here can be applied to pretty much any situation.

As I read the many opinions offered by dozens of HSPs, I started to think about some issues I have observed as "obstacles," both for myself and for others. I'd thought about these before, but only in a "separate" sort of way. Now I suddenly realized how interrelated they all were.

Many HSPs tend to fall into a (frequently unhealthy) pattern of "waiting for life to come TO them." For whatever reasons-- but often the desire to avoid pain-- we gravitate towards taking a rather "passive" role; in life, and in love as well. Hence the "falling into" relationships. After all, if you're going to "take" whatever life brings you, you'd better be prepared to accept "whatever" life throws your way. Even if it turns out to be rather less than we had hoped for.

Some years ago, a friend told me something she'd learned during a discussion at a self-growth workshop. Over lunch, they were talking about self-actualization, and finding peace, and finding Self. Somehow, the discussion turned to "partnering," and one of the Teachers pointed out something I found to be particularly insightful and relevant:

The more "aware" and self-actualized a person becomes, the fewer truly compatible potential partners exist-- that is, people who can "meet you" at the same level of awareness and mental health. Beyond that, the more "special" your set of "life traits" (for example, being an HSP, or being 6'9" tall, or in the top 1% of being "gifted") the more "specialized" your desired partner's traits becomes. And the more specialized the partner who finds your particular basket of traits attractive. In other words, your potential "pool" of mates goes from maybe 1-in-25 to 1-in-1000, or worse. Those are just arbitrary numbers, by the way, used for example's sake. But my point is, "extraordinary" people more often seem like they have "settled" in their relationships.

"Extraordinary" may seem like an uncommonly arrogant and self-important term for an HSP to use. But I don't mean it in a self-congratulatory or inflated way. After all, who benefits when someone with "uncommon" traits pretends to be "common?"

At a completely different workshop I went to, some years back, a different conversation about "mating" took place. Again it related to the process of healthy self-love, and "finding self," with the eventual point made that the "brighter your light," the more (generally unhealthy) people will be attracted to it, in order to feel illuminated by it. The less "healthy" a person is, the more likely they are to gravitate towards someone who has the characteristics they perceive to be lacking in themselves.

The "consequence," of course, being that self-aware people tend to get far greater exposure to others who want to be "with" them, and those others often have dubious qualities and questionable mental health. So now you may be asking "What does this have to do with being an HSP?" HSPs, being generally introspective and interested in self-development tend to be fairly self-aware people. This can set up an interesting (and very challenging) dynamic in which we are often "attractors" for those who have a load of "psychic baggage," but our kind natures and discomfort around rejection "pushes" us into situations that are not healthy for us.

Getting back to the woman who dated 150 men, I am not suggesting that this is necessarily an appropriate strategy for HSPs. What I am suggesting is that HSPs may have a more difficult time finding someone they "click" and, as such, we really need to be more willing to give ourselves "lots of exposure." Which may feel scary to most, since we tend to be rather private and reclusive people. I suppose the "bottom line" here, is that if you're looking for someone who's "one-in-a-million," you also have to be willing to take the steps and action to (potentially) expose yourself to a million people.

Then I realized that for any of this to "make sense," we have to start with self-love and self-acceptance. Several years ago, Elaine Aron gave a talk entitled "Healing ourselves so we can heal the world." The phrase has stuck with me, in the sense of how important it is that we look to ourselves first, to come to terms with what we want in life. Nobody is going to "ride in on a fine white charger" to rescue us from ourselves and solve our problems for us, especially our love problems.

Which brings me up to the present time, and to this morning, as I was reading a huge backlog of HSP group emails.

In reading the many words, I suddenly "touched" self-love. What I mean is, I felt it, rather than just being able to intellectually describe it. Self-love in its purest form, I realized, is what happens when you openly allow yourself to be "100% yourself," with yourself, and with another. It's not about looking in the mirror and repeating the mantra "I love myself," 100 times every morning. It's about simply accepting What Is; and if you find something you don't like, simply accepting it, saying "this doesn't feel right," and then taking a step towards something you do like.

And those "amazing" relationships we sometimes see, and wish we had.... I think they tend to be the product of two people-- in a state of self-love-- occupying the same space, while their states of being "100% themselves" happen to be exactly what "feels right" to the other.

Now, I can already hear the "Peanut Gallery" going; the words of "Yeah, like that's gonna happen!" raining down from the balcony. To which I reply "Certainly not if you're leaving your life up to random chance! And certainly not if you don't believe it is possible!"

I suppose it's not merely an issue for HSPs, but I believe we have to truly "know ourselves" before we can hope to know what it is we want in another. And the self-love I mentioned before, is largely a product of knowing ourselves, because until we truly know what "ourselves" means, we can't be ourselves. Alas, it's a step we often "conveniently" overlook, as we set forth in the world with great hopes that "the right person" will make our lives whole and perfect. Whereas I believe there may be a half-truth there, I also don't believe that perfection with another can exist till we have created it (to whatever degree possible) in ourselves.

Here's something I personally believe to be true. Regardless of whether you're looking for romance, work or happiness, everything you put out in the world is a "beacon" containing information about you. What you say, what you write, where you write it, what you wear, where you go. They work like a "universal energy signature," and others in the world "interact" with them, much as we might "interact" with the produce at the grocery store. Some we like, some we don't some we feel indifferent towards. In "combination" some might be horrible, and some might be nigh onto perfect. If you have few beacons, few people will find you. If you "edit" your beacons, you will send a false image, and draw people to something that isn't true. If you put your beacons in the "wrong" places, you will draw the wrong people. If your beacons are "non-specific," you will draw "no-one in particular."

Hence the importance of putting out the energy that we truly want to "represent" us. Which is only possible through knowing who we truly are, and accepting that "100% me."

One final observation concerns the issue of "adaptability." HSPs tend to be extremely "pliable," and almost "chameleon-like," often to our detriment. Because we often have histories of being thought of as "oddballs" and "a bit strange," many of us grow "adept at adapting," and becoming whatever it is that's needed in a given moment, in order for us to fit in. Maybe that's allright in small doses and to accomplish specific short-term objectives in the world. However, in partnering it has serious consequences, when we choose to "make ourselves compatible" with people with whom we are definitely not compatible. I know broader pop-psychology teaches that compromise is an important part of relationships. But, in my opinion, that can only be "healthily" applied to such things as "which movie we're watching," or "where we'll vacation this summer." It was never meant to mean compromising our core values and basic sense of self.

I once heard someone describe the "measure" of love this way: "Ask yourself, do I love myself more, when I am around this person?" Genuinely, on a deep core level. If you cannot authentically answer "yes," move along to the next person.

Of course, these are just my opinions. That doesn't mean they are "right" for anyone else....

22 comments:

  1. This hits home more deeply than I can say.

    J.

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  2. Peter,

    Everything you wrote rings home so true. I've found that I'm an "uplifter" and therefore attract people who are less focused in their energy and can be rather draining.

    I'm currently going through a process where I'm letting go of all that no longer serves me (I've been doing this for some time) and am strengthening my (energetic) boundaries.

    Because ultimately, I find that we attract the people we attract for a reason. It isn't a coincidence at all! I'm currently letting go of a friendship that no longer serves me. I've grown out of it and changed. But at the time I became friends,I needed her and my vibration (your "universal energy signature"?) and hers were similar, despite our seemingly different temperaments (she is very HSP, I am but a little bit more extraverted). But as my vibration has changed, we are no longer compatible.

    I find that energy healing is helping me greatly in building strong boundaries. Reiki and the Emotional Freedom Technique especially. The latter is fantastic because it is easily self applied. For HSPs, empaths who wish to manage their energy and build strong boundaries, visit the EFT site at:

    http://www.emofree.com

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  3. Everything you wrote is true. I've been an HSP person for a long time and didn't even know it until today when i picked up this hsp book.. the topic of relationships for hsps people sparked curiosity, so i googled it to see if it would lead me anywhere. and im hapy it lead me here. most of what u said i already knew but its just so hard in practice. and its just feels good to know theres people who think and are like you.
    --thanks

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  4. Very well writen with good and usefull insights. That last statement is so right...
    "Ask yourself, do I love myself more, when I am around this person?"
    So true, as a hsp we are indeed sensitive to be cameleon-like and lose ourselves in others. Mindfulness has helped me a lot thusfar, it helps me to focus more on myself. The technique on how to breathe properly (hyperventilation since early childhood due to extreme stressfull situations) gives me mental peace and liberates the emotional energy in such a powerfull way.
    I'm willing to love myself more... so I will certainly ask myself that question when I'm around persons.

    Amen.

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  5. Thank you for this wonderful thought. I wanted to comment that for me as an HSP, it is not easy to put myself through say 150 dates. I find that my HSP has to somehow be turned off temporarily to do that. I find I need time in between dates, and at the rate I am going I may be 99 before I meet 'that person'. Your article has helped me identify this, and perhaps try to move past it somehow, but I do believe I have to increase my numbers!!

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    Replies
    1. I feel exactly like this. It is really hard to find persons that understands you on a deeper level. I also feel like I have to expose myself to a lot of men on dates. It is really hard. Especially when your surrounding friends find you picky. Then I feel I have to force myself into something, which I can already feel isn't going to work from the beginning. And as a HSP I can sense pretty quickly how people are and if we match.

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  6. Your words have comforted, consoled, and awakened me. Thank you.

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  7. Great article.

    I've only recently found out that I'm a hsp, I thought for along time I was just weird and different to everyone else. Now I know about this and that I'm not the only one, it has helped me to already feel more relaxed about things in life. However I still find it very hard to understand a non hsp's thought processes? They just don't seem to realize that there opinions can really effect someone else. It's almost as if its nothing, they appear not to care and seem insensitive.

    Im also in the early stages of a relationship where the other half seems cold and uncaring at times, and has also told me to 'relax and just go with it'

    Hmmm not sure what to do about it? I know I should relax for my own health, however then Id surely be sending out a false beacon, should I tell them I have hsp and see there reaction, but I don't want them to be like 'oh I'm sorry' ect... Just to accept it and that's the way I am. So not sure what to do? should I just move on? Any help?

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  8. That....was.....amazing! Hahaha. Thank you for sharing your insight. I have been running and adapting my whole 28 year old life, wondering why I was so different so I read about being an HSP. Spot on, but I became overwhelmed to the point of despair and utter hopelessness ("I'm too different for this society and am doomed to live a life of solitude until death." After reading this I have some hope. I realize better now that I need and can accept myself, grow to love myself 100%, and it is possible to find a special person. Thanks again.

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  9. This can set up an interesting (and very challenging) dynamic in which we are often "attractors" for those who have a load of "psychic baggage," but our kind natures and discomfort around rejection "pushes" us into situations that are not healthy for us

    the above phrase striked me so hard. I've been in this situation since 1.5 year, when a woman with quite some issue (she's not sure about her sexuality, lots of broken relations, kids here and there,...) came to me and i completely fell for her. Obviously she changed her mind quite fast but kept playing me and it made me go mental. Although i had 400 rational reasons not to love her, i kept falling back and it has been the hardest time of my life.

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  10. Great article. I do agree that HSPs tend to attract people with problems. After a couple of dysfunctional relationships, (abusive, alcoholic), I have learned to recognize these ahead of time and to say no thank you. Somewhere else I also read that HSPs also tend to attract narcissists and I recently fell into that trap.
    And thank you especially for this:
    "Regardless of whether you're looking for romance, work or happiness, everything you put out in the world is a "beacon" containing information about you. What you say, what you write, where you write it, what you wear, where you go. They work like a "universal energy signature," and others in the world "interact" with them, much as we might "interact" with the produce at the grocery store. Some we like, some we don't some we feel indifferent towards. In "combination" some might be horrible, and some might be nigh onto perfect. If you have few beacons, few people will find you. If you "edit" your beacons, you will send a false image, and draw people to something that isn't true. If you put your beacons in the "wrong" places, you will draw the wrong people. If your beacons are "non-specific," you will draw "no-one in particular."
    Hence the importance of putting out the energy that we truly want to "represent" us. Which is only possible through knowing who we truly are, and accepting that "100% me."

    ReplyDelete
  11. I wish someone would talk about the intense surreal, magical, excruciating, all engulfing pain that HSP's go through when they fall in love. Often with a person who takes advantage of there hsp nature and manipulate the hsp's ethereal like nature and sucks there beauty out :( Shane

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    Replies
    1. Oh I so get this... Trouble is, the other person doesn't have the beautiful, intense layers we have, so they have no idea what they are doing or the damage they are causing. You're not alone there.

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  12. Thank you so much for this brilliant article!! It's been the most "real" and down to earth I've read so far on the HSP subject. It makes so much sense now and I'm no longer afraid of being 100% me. Now off to find that one in a million....

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  13. Peter that hits home to me in every way. You have articulated things I've felt but could not explain. Not a truer word spoken , in my case anyway.

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  14. Have you found that HSPs tend to cut off/retreat when confronted with a potential match? There's someone who I'm establishing a connection with right now who is a HSP, I have a certain about of these characteristics myself but he's incredibly intuitive to everything around him. He initiates deep conversations with me and then afterwards sets up boundaries. I'm staying open and letting things come and go but I'm also self doubting myself in a huge way.
    Any advice from HSPs who've been through this would be great

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    Replies
    1. I'd say it's because of a comfort zone. Maybe in the moment he felt free to tell you a lot and then he remembered that he is HSP, and he got scared of you might hurt him because of knowing too much about him. Maybe he doesn't trust you enough. Maybe you've hurt him without knowing that and he set up boundaries. A lot of girls are manipulative with HSP males and like toying around with them, and maybe he is not pretty sure about your intends (if you are a female). Just talk to him openly and make clear you have good intends.

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  15. Is there anyone of HSPs who has already met his love and can tell us of his or her brilliant experience? How have you met, what had been before you meeting and how you feel now.
    In order to give the rest of us hope and reduce that mad fear of enourmous pain and emotinal storm, which accompanies every poor romance of a HSP. Please, help us, you - happy HSP- :))))

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  16. Two hsp people together,both start in their relationship as self aware, but partially unavailable emotionally. I think because of comfort zones and protection. They have children and one realizes through this change that she needs more through this time from pregnancy to parenting together and being intimate partners. She is willing to step out of her comfort zone to get to a more healthy balanced place but he seems to be unaware of his need and benefits ofgrowing the relationship.e engulfed in his business/mission work.never initiating things, even rejecting attempts to connect.it was not so difficult to connect in the beg but I did initiate.but I am an hsp introvert!there must be some give and take with making effort. Anyway, what do you do when you value family and want your children to have both parents with them, but you are not getting what you need and I mean the essentials.i have been gentle but direct and patient for 6 years.any body have advice?by the way I have been on a self love journey for the past 9years and it has expanded my love for self and others, however through dreamwork I realized I have a belief that there are few people who appreciate who I am. He appeared to be appreciate who I was at first so I think I was not so strict in judging certain things. And maybe he did accept who I was but not who I expanded to be during the relationship.

    ReplyDelete

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