Being sensitive can be a good thing in terms of empathy and sympathy, and being able to understand how others must feel is a great way to make more friends and to ensure that everyone around you is as happy as possible and that you don’t do anything to upset them.
However, if you are sensitive in the sense that you take everything personally and struggle to poke fun at yourself or to shrug off criticism, then this can be a very damaging and potentially very upsetting trait. Not only will it mean that you are someone who gets easily upset which is no fun for you, but it can also make you seem like someone who is up tight or no fun to be around if you are constantly rising. Then there’s the fact that if you do keep rising, you can potentially make yourself a target for more personal attacks. Break this cycle and you can start to give off a vibe of someone far more confident and much more laid back to be around.
Consider Their Motives
If someone says something that you find offensive, then don’t take the jibe at face value. Rather think about what they maybe might have really meant by it and why they might have said it in the first place. For instance if someone said something offensive then you might think that it was because they wanted to hurt you or because they really thought it, however in many cases they might not have meant it as an insult at all, or they might have done it rather as a way to increase their social standing and make themselves look better (meaning they probably didn’t really mean it). Sometimes people tease because they actually like you and want to pay you attention or because they think your quirks are cute, and other times they tease because they’re actually very insecure and it’s the only way they can feel good about themselves. Ask yourself if one of these might be the case.
Know What’s Important to You
If someone teases you for your bad football skills then you have to ask yourself why this matters to you. Do you want to someday be a professional footballer? Chances are you don’t – in which case it really shouldn’t matter what they think. Decide definitively what your goals are in life and who you want to be, and then you can take insults with much more of a pinch of salt.
Speak to Others
You also need to think about the credibility of the person insulting you. How well do they really know you? And are they in the minority in their belief? To find out for sure you should consider asking some people who DO know you really well and who will be able to give you a more accurate opinion – most likely telling you that there’s nothing to worry about.
Value Criticism
If your criticisms are constructive then instead of getting upset about things, you should instead just launch into action and start making amends. Businesses pay millions for market research and all that is is effectively criticism. This is valuable stuff then, so consider each put down as a chance to improve yourself further. Nothing is concrete, so there’s no sense in being upset.
Learn to Laugh at Yourself
People who are very over sensitive are often the kinds of people who other people don’t want to hang out with – because they take everything too seriously meaning that those around them need to tread very carefully. Are you the kind of person who gets upset at comedians when they make a rude joke? Even when it doesn’t relate to you? If so then it may be time to relax and to realise that words are just words and actually if people are able to make light of the situation then it means that it doesn’t bother them too much. If someone tease you for who you are, then really it means that they feel comfortable enough to treat you like everyone else and to act relaxed around a delicate subject. Really that should be a comfort. And regardless of whether you feel that way or not, being upset isn’t going to make the situation any better so you may as well just laugh…
Well written!