: Ms. Steisslinger, what is high sensitivity?
Vera Steisslinger: High sensitivity is a personality trait that, according to scientific studies, can be found in about 20 to 30 percent of people. It is therefore not a disorder or illness. Being highly sensitive means reacting more strongly to internal and external environmental stimuli and processing information differently. Highly sensitive people often perceive a great deal, including things “between the lines” or the moods of others.
: You yourself are highly sensitive. How does this trait manifest in you?
Steisslinger: For me there is a strong perception of details, but also of complex contexts. It concerns, for example, the perception of what lies between the lines. I can sense the atmosphere in a room full of people well, or read my conversation partner a little more discerningly.
In the interview: Vera Steisslinger
born 1961 in Braunschweig, she is a coach, consultant, and mother of two adult daughters. After a scientific career in agricultural biology and biomedical research, she now collaborates with the Center of Competence for High Sensitivity “Aurum Cordis” in Buxtehude. Her focus lies on resilience development, high sensitivity, and body-oriented trauma work.
: Is everyday life for highly sensitive people often harder to cope with?
Steisslinger: Yes, there are aspects for them that are connected with suffering, with pain, emotional injury, and with the feeling of being excluded. Highly sensitive people are definitely out of place in an open-plan office.
: Do you, as a biologist, also study the topic of high sensitivity from a scientific perspective?
Steisslinger: I find it fascinating, for example, how roughly 50 percent genetic predisposition interacts with a person’s experiences, especially in childhood, to shape the individual sensitivity. This applies to both negative and positive influences.
High sensitivity is not a disorder or illness.
: Are there other interesting findings in research?
Steisslinger: Yes, evolutionary research raises the interesting question of what role high sensitivity could have as a stable trait. That there are individuals in a community who react more strongly to their environment and are actually more vulnerable than others. And not only in humans, but also in many different animal species.
: How does high sensitivity show itself in animals?
“High sensitivity as a personal and societal future force” by Vera Steisslinger, 24.11., 7:30 PM, Goldbekhaus, Hamburg
Steisslinger: For example, in a herd of wild horses, such animals attentively observe the surroundings and explore, while the others graze calmly and provide calm and stability. When external conditions change, when danger approaches or the grass runs out, the sensitive animals know a solution. They take risks while exploring, such as potentially being eaten behind the next bush or venturing further along. Therefore, greater sensitivity for the entire herd is only advantageous if only a minority of the animals behave this way.
: Doesn’t that contradict the thesis of your talk that high sensitivity can be a resource in shaping the future?
Steisslinger: Yes, exactly! Because in humans too the ability to perceive various possibilities is an important factor in exploring new paths. Furthermore, high sensitivity is attributed a high capacity for empathy. The ability to listen and to empathize is incredibly valuable for interpersonal cohesion.
: Could you elaborate on that a little more?
Steisslinger: We often see in highly sensitive children that they have a very strong moral compass. Even as small children they are very clear about their value system and ask questions full of wisdom, making you wonder where they get it from. Many highly sensitive people have a great desire to learn and to try new things. Even if they occasionally suffer setbacks and have a colorful résumé. They have an inner motivation to continue, because they know there is something beyond themselves.
