HSP INTP: The Highly Sensitive INTP
Someone who is an HSP or highly sensitive person, experiences life in a much different way. They are naturally sensitive to the world around them, whether this be through emotions or even physical stimulus. They find themselves rather sensitive to things in ways that make them feel different from the majority of the people around them. Some HSPs will hide these traits, wanting to fit int and avoid standing out too much. Experiencing ridicule for being “too sensitive” is something which can only make those feelings harder to process. Being an HSP does not make someone an emotional mess, it does not make them weak, in a lot of ways it can be used as a strength or tool to connect with people and the world on a much deeper level. Being an HSP is not something which is naturally correlated with personality type, although some might be more commonly seen with these types of behaviors.
Most people think of HSPs as being only feeling types, but that isn’t always the case. While certain feeling personalities might be more prone to being highly sensitive, rather than a thinker who is more focused on logic, that doesn’t mean it is quite so simple as that. Thinkers, like the INTP, can certainly be HSP as well, it just might be harder to recognize on them. Just like anyone else INTPs can feel emotions very deeply, they just prefer to focus more on using facts and logic as a means of making choices. The HSP INTP might be more common than people realize, since they are likely to withdraw when they are feeling overwhelmed and in need of distance from those feelings.
Emotional Sensitivity
The HSP INTP can certainly be more sensitive to emotions and find themselves feeling a bit overwhelmed by it. This is something they are likely to hide very well, as they don’t want people to see this type of vulnerability. The HSP INTP is likely to try and keep this to themselves, so most people won’t even realize these sensitivities. They might find themselves getting hurt more easily with the wrong words or situation, simply because it pushes their stress levels over the edge. They find themselves feeling everything so deeply, and wanting to find ways to cover this up and overshadow it with facts and logic. This might cause the INTP to overcompensate, trying to find a logical explanation for everything and being hyper aware of this.
HSP INTPs might find themselves deeply moved by things like art or music, but instead try to analyze it in hopes of hiding this from others. They focus on analysis and understanding what draws them to these arts so much, not wanting to make it apparent how it is affecting their emotions inside. They might find that certain music sticks with their soul so much that they feel a deep and meaningful connection to it. While other things like horror films or anything painfully gory can be off putting, making the INTP want to avoid it entirely. Feeling things so deeply for the INTP is not uncommon, but being an HSP can make it more difficult for them to bury it for long. Accepting and searching for ways to understand their own emotions and sensitivities isn’t easy for the INTP, but it is important for them to learn how to better cope with this part of themselves.
Physical Sensitivity
INTPs who are HSP are highly sensitive to stimuli, especially when they are not prepared for it. They find themselves quickly wanting to avoid crowds and get away from people and situations which are overwhelming. If there are too many noises or chaos around them, the HSP INTP will want to find an escape and rather quickly. They don’t have the intense desire to please others in the way most INFJs or some other feeling types might, and so they focus more on needing to find a way to be on their own. This doesn’t mean they won’t feel bad if this upsets someone they care for, it just means that INTPs are often more aware of their own limitations and boundaries. When they start to sense that they are becoming inundated with too much sensory information, the INTP knows that they need to get away and find somewhere they can be on their own to recharge. They need to be able to process everything and analyze it, in order to feel less drained by it all.
This can also be something which is recognized as a good thing, making the INTP so much more sensitive to the slightest changes. They can recognize when something has been altered because they either visualize a noticeable change, smell something which isn’t normal, or can hear something unusual. Being so sensitive to these things can be something which makes the INTP more aware of these subtle differences, which is actually appealing for someone who likes to analyze everything the way they do. They might not recognize this as part of being an HSP, but they will certainly utilize it as best they can in hopes of understanding and reading their surroundings better.
How to Cope
The first step for the INTP to learn to cope with being an HSP, is simply accepting the reality of it. They might have heard so many stereotypes about INTPs, that they find themselves unsure if this is even possible. It is more than possible for the INTP to be an HSP, and it certainly isn’t something they need to bury or push aside. This can help the INTP be so much more aware of things, picking up on subtle changes and helping them to analyze information even better than other people around them. Being sensitive to too much stimuli or even overwhelming emotions, can be difficult but not impossible for the INTP to process. Learning to take a step back and analyze those experiences, is something which comes naturally to the INTP if they let it. Researching and learning more about being an HSP can be beneficial for them, since it is their natural means of understanding the information. They absorb different facts and then filter this through their Ti in order to come to their own unique conclusions.
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