What It Means to Be a Highly Sensitive Person

This lesson introduces what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person, or HSP, from a psychological perspective. Students learn that HSP is best understood as a temperament trait associated with sensory processing sensitivity, not as a disorder, weakness, or personality flaw.

The lesson explains the core features of high sensitivity: deeper processing, stronger emotional responsiveness, greater awareness of subtle stimuli, and a higher likelihood of overstimulation. It also distinguishes HSP from shyness, introversion, anxiety, and trauma responses, while preparing students for later lessons on assessment, nervous system regulation, relationships, work, and practical self-management.