你爱哭吗？

by Elizabeth Bernstein Arony 译

你爱哭吗？

Do You Cry Easily?

by Elizabeth Bernstein Arony 译

michael Hassard, a former engineer for NASA, hikes and camps, takes long motorcycle rides, mows his lawn, fxes leaky faucets, and loves football.

He also cries—quite often: Whenever the Battle Hymn of the Republic is played or if the checkout clerk at Wal-Mart says, “God Bless You”; when the country song about the guy who fxes a tire and refuses payment comes on; and once when he donated some winter coats his children had outgrown to a family he knew from church.

“I keep tissues handy at all times,” says the 44-yearold engineer for an oil and gas company, who lives in Houston.

迈克尔·哈萨德是美国国家航空航天局的前任工程师，他平常爱远足、露营、骑摩托车跑长途、修剪草坪、修理漏水的水龙头，还喜欢踢足球。

俗话说，“男儿有泪不轻弹”，一直以来，流眼泪都被视为脆弱的表现，因此很多人会刻意避免在别人面前哭出来，尤其是男性。然而，有一类人他们天性敏感，很容易被周围的事物触动而情不自禁地流泪，他们被称为“高度敏感者”。这篇文章能帮助你更好地理解他们。

他还爱哭——经常哭：听到《共和国战歌》时，或听到沃尔玛的收银员说“上帝保佑你”时；当一首乡村歌曲（内容是一个人修好了轮胎却不收钱）响起时；还有那次他把孩子们不合穿的衣服捐赠给他在教堂认识的一家人时。

“我总是随身带着纸巾，”他说，这位石油和天然气公司的工程师今年44岁，住在休斯敦。

Meet the Highly Sensitive Person, or HSP—someone who responds more intensely to experiences than the average individual. Experts say HSPs process both positive and negative information more thoroughly, and so they can easily become overwhelmed by1)stimuli. They are acutely aware of sensations, whether of taste, touch, sound or smell. And they are particularly sensitive to emotions—their own and those of others.

Research studies show that about 20% of the population fts into this category, and the trait is found in the same numbers in men and women.

HSPs are currently having a moment: Last week, the First International Scientifc Conference on High Sensitivity or Sensory Processing Sensitivity was held at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, with panels on sensory processing sensitivity in children and what we can learn from successful people who are highly sensitive. There is a documentary in the works titled Sensitive. (The trailer features Alanis Morissette, a self-proclaimed HSP.) fne.” Eventually, he learned to 3)curb his emotions by playing the songs over and over again in his spare time.

Mr. Hassard frst noticed he was highly sensitive in his early teens. Singing in his church choir, there were songs that he says he “had a hard time getting through” because they moved him so much. Sometimes friends noticed his tears and asked him what was wrong. His2)rote response: “Nothing, I’m

高度敏感者（简称HSP）——这类人对经历的事物比一般人有更为强烈的反应。专家称这些人对正面和负面的信息都处理得更为透彻，因此他们很容易受到刺激。他们的感觉很敏锐，不管是味觉、触觉、听觉还是嗅觉。他们对情感尤为敏感，包括自己和别人的情感。

调查研究表明大约有20%的人属于高度敏感人群，男女人数相当。

1) stimulus ['stɪmjʊləs] n. 刺激物，激励物（复数：stimuli）

2) rote [rəʊt] n. 机械方法，死记硬背

3) curb [kзːb] v. 控制，约束，抑制

4) clinical practice 临诊实践，临床应用

5) spectrum ['spektrəm] n. 系列，范围

HSP最近有一项重要活动：上周，第一届高度敏感或感觉处理敏感性国际科学会议在布鲁塞尔自由大学举行。会议上的两个专家组分别对儿童的感觉处理敏感性和我们能从成功的高度敏感人士中学到什么两方面进行讨论。相关议题中有一部名为《敏感》的纪录片。（预告片的主角是阿拉尼斯·莫里赛特，他自称是高度敏感者。）

哈萨德先生第一次发现自己极其敏感是在其青少年时期。那时他在教堂合唱团唱歌，他说有些歌唱起来特别困难，因为这些歌让他特别感动。朋友们有时候看到他的眼泪会问他发生什么事了。他会机械性地回答：“没事，我很好。”在空余时间一遍又一遍地唱这些歌让他最终学会了如何抑制自己的情绪。

Sometimes called Sensory Processing Sensitivity, high sensitivity isn’t a disorder or a condition but rather an innate, permanent trait. It was frst identifed in the 1990s by Elaine and Arthur Aron, research psychologists who developed a 27-item scale to assess it. People who are highly sensitive have a deeper depth of cognitive processing, are easily overwhelmed, have bigger emotional responses and notice subtleties more, says Dr. Elaine Aron, who has a4)clinical practice in Mill Valley, Calif.

Today, several hundred research studies, from brain scans to genetic analyses, have been done on topics related to high sensitivity. They have found that high sensitivity may occur on a5)spectrum, just like many other personality traits. It isn’t the same as introversion, although HSPs fnd the need to withdraw from social interactions or stimuli when their brains get overwhelmed.

Brain-scan studies of HSPs show differences in their neural activity, compared with non-HSPs: HSPs are more empathic, pay closer attention to their environment and are more attentive to social clues from their close friends and partners.

A study, led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and published in April, 2014, in the journal Brain and Behavior, found that people with high sensitivity show more neural activity in specific regions of their brains when looking at the face of a loved one than do people with average sensitivity.

Experts say that high sensitivity can be found in at least 100 species, including fruit flies, sunfish, dogs, cats and monkeys. In modern times, HSPs make excellent counselors, teachers, artists, pastors and reporters (or relationship columnists).

The trait has its downsides. HSPs get worn out by too much stimuli. They can become easily hurt or offended. And they have been known to overreact to a situation. “They’re processing information more thoroughly,” says Dr. Arthur Aron, research professor at Stony Brook University in New York and a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. “So they are more easily overwhelmed.”

高度敏感有时候也被称为感觉处理敏感性，它不是一种疾病或病症，而是一种天生的、永久性的特征。HSP最早在上世纪90年代由心理研究学家伊莱恩和阿瑟·阿伦定义，他们为此设计了一套有27道题的测试。伊莱恩·阿伦博士称高度敏感者有着更深刻的认知加工，更容易感动，情感反应更强烈，更常关注细微事物，她在加州的米尔谷进行了临床实验。

如今，从脑部扫描到基因分析，已有数百个关于高度敏感方面的调查研究。他们发现高度敏感是随机出现的，就像许多其他的个性特征一样。它跟内向不一样，虽然高度敏感的人在受到触动时，也需要回避社交或刺激情绪的事物。

对高度敏感人群的大脑扫描显示，与非高度敏感的人相比，他们的神经系统活动有所不同：高度敏感的人更有同情心，更在意周围的环境，对亲密朋友和伴侣的社交暗示更敏感。

由加利福尼亚大学圣巴巴拉分校的研究人员进行的一项研究发现高度敏感者在看着爱人的脸时，大脑的某些特定区域的神经活动比一般人的更活跃，该研究被刊登在2014年4月的《脑与行为》杂志上。

专家称至少在100个物种中发现高度敏感的特性，包括果蝇、太阳鱼、狗、猫和猴子。在现代，高度敏感者能出色地胜任顾问、教师、艺术家、牧师和记者（或人际关系专栏作家）的工作。

这种性格特征也有不好的一面。这些人会因过多的刺激而感到身心疲惫。他们更容易受伤害或受到冒犯。人们普遍认为他们对事情反应过大。“他们处理信息更彻底，”阿瑟·阿伦博士说。“因此他们更容易受到触动。”阿瑟·阿伦博士是纽约石溪大学的研究教授，也是加利福尼亚大学伯克利分校的访问学者。

Researchers now believe that high sensitivity has a genetic cause. While they haven’t yet identified all the genes involved, research suggests that the6)serotonin transporter gene—which is involved in the recycling of serotonin, a7)neurotransmitter in the brain that impacts emotional wellbeing—plays a role. They also believe that psychological factors—your temperament or personality—have an effect on your level of sensitivity, as does your physiology, specifically how you respond to stress.

HSPs can learn to cope with their feelings and reactions—sometimes even better than others. A study published online in March 2015, by the journal Personality and Individual Differences, looks at how 166 girls ages 11 and 12 respond to a school-based mental health program in England. It found that those who were highly sensitive benefted from a 12-week class on reframing their depressive thoughts much more than girls who had an average amount of sensitivity.

Only the highly sensitive girls’ depression symptoms also decreased over the subsequent 12 months. “The more sensitive ones were probably more likely to8)internalize what they’ve learned and apply it,” says Michael Pluess, a senior lecturer at Queen Mary University of London and the lead researcher on the study.

Mr. Hassard admits that sometimes being overly sensitive can cause problems such as “when you can’t hide how much arguing with idiots upsets you.” And he’s sometimes noticed that women he’s dated have become uncomfortable when he is more emotional than they are. “Nobody loves a crybaby,” he says.

Over the years, he has taught himself how to modulate his feelings and reactions—and to “9)dehumanize” situations to remove emotion.

And he has learned to see advantages in being so sensitive. He feels he is a better father because he can empathize better with his children. And he says he recently saved a multimillion-dollar deal at work because he was the only one on his 12-member team who10)picked up on the client’s apprehension, enabling the group to address it.

目前，研究人员认为高度敏感特性与基因有关。他们还没有找出全部的相关基因，该研究显示这与血清素运输基因——帮助循环利用血清素，是大脑中影响情绪的一种神经递质——有一定关系。他们还认为心理因素——性情和个性——会影响敏感的程度，生理状况也是一个因素，尤其是对压力的反应。

高度敏感人群能通过学习学会处理自己的感觉和反应——有时甚至比其他人处理得更好。2015年3月，一份由《个性与个体差异》杂志在网上发布的研究调查了166名11—12岁的女孩在一个英国学校心理健康项目的表现。结果发现高度敏感的女孩在接受一个为期12周的课程后，比其他敏感度一般的人在调整消极思想方面做得更好。

在之后的12个月里，只有那些高度敏感的女孩的压抑症状得到减轻。“较敏感的人更可能把学到的东西内化并加以运用，”迈克尔·普鲁斯说，他是伦敦玛丽皇后大学的高级讲师，也是这项研究的领头人。

哈萨德先生承认有时候过于敏感会带来一些问题，如“跟愚蠢的人争论时，你掩饰不了自己有多气愤。”他还注意到那些跟他约会的女性看到他比自己还要感性时会感到不自在。“没有人会喜欢爱哭鬼，”他说。

多年来，他教会了自己怎样调节感受和反应——还有“冷漠”对待发生的事件，把情感抽离出来。

他还学会了积极看待过度敏感。他觉得自己是个好父亲，因为他能更好地感知孩子们的情感。他说他最近在工作中挽救了一份好几百万美元的合同，在12个成员的团队中，只有他注意到了客户的担忧，最终他们团队为客户解决了问题。

Mr. Hassard’s girlfriend, Julie Matte, a surgical nurse, says that although his 11)wear-it-on-his sleeve emotions have taken some time to get used to, she now loves how sensitive he is.“12)Stoic has its place,” she says. “But engaging, thoughtful conversation about things that matter with someone who feels and isn’t afraid to show it is a welcome and unexpected change from the norm.”

哈萨德先生的女朋友，朱莉·马特，是一位外科护士，她说虽然花了不少时间来适应他常常表露于外的情绪，但是她现在爱上了他的敏感。“克制隐忍的人有其优势，”她说。“但跟一个情感丰富而不在乎表露的人进行热烈而有深度的交流也是很好的，会有一些令人惊喜的意外变化。”

6) serotonin [,sɪərə'təʊnɪn] n. 血清素，五羟色胺（神经递质，能影响情绪）

7) neurotransmitter [,njʊərətræns'mɪtə] n. 神经递质

8) internalize [ɪn'tənəlaɪz] v. 使内在化，使适应

9) dehumanize [dɪ'hjuːmənaɪz] v. 使失去人性，失去个性

10) pick up on 注意到，领悟

11) wear sth. on one’s sleeve 把某人的情绪或情感表露出来

12) stoic ['stəʊɪk] n. 高度自制者，坚忍克己之人

小资料

Battle Hymn of the Republic 《共和国战歌》

这首歌的歌词是由朱莉娅·沃德·豪（Julia Ward Howe）于1861年11月18日凌晨编写的。朱莉娅是一位著名的废奴论者、诗人、妇女参政主义者和人道主义者。那天她和丈夫到华盛顿特区访问，而在前一天，他们看到波托马克河南面军队的调遣，并和士兵们一起唱流行歌曲《约翰·布朗的遗体》。一个朋友建议她为这支行军歌写新歌词。据她自己说，当晚躺在床上忽然灵感来临，由于担心明早醒来会忘记，她即刻找到笔和纸，就写下了《共和国战歌》。她觉得这是她写作以来最好的作品。确实如此，这首歌于1862年2月发表在《大西洋月刊》上后，广受好评。这首好听易懂的旋律后来传遍全国各地，并作为许多新歌词的配乐。