A very emotional person might be called an empath, someone who deeply feels others' emotions, or a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), a term for those with heightened sensitivity to stimuli, but more general terms include sensitive, sentimental, passionate, emotive, or intense. The best term depends on if they absorb emotions (empath), are generally sensitive (HSP), or just express feelings strongly (passionate).
Highly Sensitive Person, or HSP, is a term coined by psychologist Elaine Aron. According to Aron's theory, HSPs are a subset of the population who are high in a personality trait known as sensory-processing sensitivity, or SPS.
Sensitivity and Emotional Intelligence
Highly sensitive people experience things more intensely. Their strong emotions are easier to identify (and potentially use to their benefit) than the average person.
Here are 11 signs that you might be highly sensitive and/or an empath:
Being a "deep feeler" refers to possessing an innate ability to experience and process emotions with exceptional depth, intensity, and sensitivity. It goes beyond the ordinary realm of sensitivity, encompassing a profound connection to one's own emotions and the emotions of others.
#1 Most Sensitive Type: INFJ
INFJs have strong emotional connections to both their own feelings and the feelings of others. They are incredibly sensitive to suffering and are unable to just turn away from someone who is in pain.
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Empaths are highly sensitive to the energy around them, which can make daily life feel exhausting. During the day, when the world is loud, busy, and emotionally charged, they absorb so much — moods, tension, unspoken emotions — even in passing.
Careers for highly sensitive people include mental health professionals, social workers, educators, and creative professionals, where heightened empathy and emotional awareness serve as valuable strengths that enhance professional effectiveness and personal fulfillment in roles focused on helping, teaching, or creative ...
The rarest type of empath, according to spiritual and metaphysical beliefs, is the Heyoka empath, also known as the "sacred clown," originating from Native American traditions, characterized by mirroring emotions and challenging norms to facilitate healing, often alongside the powerful Super-Empath, who physically feels others' emotions intensely, both standing out as exceptionally rare and potent compared to general empaths.
5 Signs You Have High Emotional Intelligence
Possible causes of high sensitivity include: Genetic factors: Genetics may correlate with high sensitivity. Research has shown that HSPs may respond differently to dopamine receptors. Lack of parental warmth: Research also shows that parental warmth is essential for personality development.
People with avoidant personality disorder are very sensitive to anything critical, disapproving, or mocking because they constantly think about being criticized or rejected by others.
Childhood neglect or abuse can affect your sensitivity levels as an adult. A portion of empaths I've treated have experienced early trauma such as emotional or physical abuse, or they were raised by alcoholic, depressed or narcissistic parents.
Intelligence and high sensitivity
HSPs are highly likely to possess emotional intelligence—self-awareness, and an ability to identify and express emotions—as well as social intelligence—understanding the emotions and motivations of others. Additionally, HSPs tend to be creative and possess acute powers of observation.
1. Emotional overwhelm: Constantly feeling others' emotions can be exhausting and lead to emotional overload and stress. 2. Difficulty setting boundaries: Empaths who struggle to say no can experience burnout and self-neglect.
There's no single #1 happiest job universally, but Firefighters consistently rank high for job satisfaction due to their sense of purpose, while Care Workers, Counsellors, Content Creators, and IT roles (Java Devs, Systems Analysts) also appear frequently on "happiest" lists for fulfillment, autonomy, or good pay/balance. Overall, jobs with meaning, helping others, nature connection, strong coworker bonds, or good work-life balance tend to be cited as happiest.
Intellectuals can make good partners for certain empaths because their sense of logic complements and grounds an empath's emotional intensity. Tips to Help an Empath Communicate With an Intellectual: Ask for help. Intellectuals love to solve problems.
An empath is a person with the ability to understand the experiences and feelings of others outside of their own perspective, as well as apprehend the mental or emotional state of another individual. They sense and feel emotions as if it is part of their own experience.
Jobs to Avoid If You're an Empath
One of the best ways to take care of your energy is to choose work that enhances your unique empathic gifts and avoid draining jobs. What jobs are best to avoid? Sales is high on that list. Not many empaths enjoy being salespeople, especially if they're introverted.
The "3 E's of Narcissism" refer to three core traits often seen in individuals with narcissistic tendencies: Empathy impairment, a profound lack of understanding or sharing of others' feelings; Entitlement, a belief they deserve special treatment and admiration; and Exploitation, using others for personal gain without guilt. These characteristics highlight how narcissists often struggle to connect emotionally, feel superior, and manipulate people to meet their own needs.
The “90-second rule,” introduced by Harvard neuroscientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, reveals that an emotional surge in the body lasts only about 90 seconds—unless we mentally keep it alive.
8 Ways Emotionally Intelligent People Deal With Toxic People
The 70/30 rule in relationships suggests balancing time together (70%) with personal time apart (30%) for hobbies, friends, and self-growth, promoting independence and preventing codependency, while another view says it's about accepting 70% of your partner as "the one" and learning to live with the other 30% of quirks, requiring effort to manage major issues within that space, not a pass for abuse. Both interpretations emphasize finding a sustainable balance and acknowledging that relationships aren't always 50/50, with the key being communication and effort, not strict adherence to numbers.