A book review of the book Sensitive by Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo
It takes a lot of courage to accept that you are sensitive. Growing up, I often cried when others said, “You need to toughen up,” “Why do you cry so easily?” “You will not survive in this world,” “Learn to control your emotions,” and “Learn to take a joke.” I was scared to express my emotions or how I felt.
I often cried when things went wrong during a presentation, when someone raised their voice at me, or when I watched films where someone I adored died. (I felt like I was in that film for days). During these times, I thought I had a problem. There was no one to tell me it was okay to be me.
As I reached adulthood, I started to learn more about being sensitive. Initially, it was Google searches, wiping away my tears, and looking for tips on how to be not sensitive. Tricks to not cry or get emotional. Something that I thought was problematic was really my empathic nature. I felt the pain of the person who shared their pain with me. I felt helpless when someone told me what they were going through. I thought I could be easily manipulated. But later, I understood sensitivity is not something to be embarrassed about. It is, in fact, my superpower!
In 2023, my sister gifted me “Sensitive,” a book by Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo. I read a few pages initially and got distracted as I was always busy with something or other. But this year, as it began, I completed reading it in one stretch. And oh my, it really helped me understand myself a little bit more. First things first, it made me realize that I am not alone in this overwhelming world. As I read through the pages, it felt like it was written for me.
For sensitive souls who are trying to figure themselves out, this book would be really helpful. Everything since childhood made a lot of sense to me. I was happy to discover that I am, or I was, never a problem.
The first chapter helps you understand what it means to be sensitive. There is a checklist you can use to see if you are a sensitive person. (And this is where all my traits made sense, why I am like this). It makes you understand that sensitivity comes in different forms in different people. Not all sensitive people feel the same or act the same.
The initial chapters help the reader understand the gifts sensitive people possess. They make readers understand that sensitivity is not all that bad. I never understood why I felt overwhelmed or disturbed when things were too much, too loud, or too fast. In those phases, I would be angry, annoyed, or upset. All I needed was some quiet time to process the emotion or sleep it off to clear out those emotions. It was all a part of the sensitive trait in me.
The book not only helps you realize the problems you face but also helps you tackle unwanted emotions and use invaluable emotions like empathy. Empathy without compassion can only lead to pain. All this time, I have been finding ways to be sad, not doing something about it. It's not all big gestures but little steps toward the goal.
The chapter titled "Heart Full of Love" opened a new perspective for me about people like me in love. It was emotional to read. I understood certain things that I might be doing wrong in my relationship.
One of the fun chapters was “Raising a Sensitive Generation.” There was a checklist to understand whether your child is sensitive. I sat down with my father and had him go through it. He checked off most of it. It was a fun activity we did during my travel back home at the airport. After all, finding oneself brings a lot of happiness to the mind, doesn’t it?
There is also a chapter dedicated to the jobs that sensitive people might be good at. It’s not a particular type of job, though. It needs the right work environment and the need to understand the meaning of the job. The best jobs for sensitive people could be “ANY JOB THEY WANT TO DO.” They also provide ways to craft your job. This is defined in the book as “changing your perception of the tasks you do and looking for the way they connect to a higher purpose.”
Sensitive people want to save the whole world. Not being able to do that kills them. So a job where they have a purpose associated with at least a little bit of saving the world would make them extremely happy.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is trying to understand the sensitivity in themselves. It is also great for those who want to understand their sensitive partner, friends, or children.
I would rate it 9/10. Trust me, it has a lot of shared real-life situations that help you understand the situation much further.
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