The Sensitive Man Tackles the "Sensitive Man"

For most of you who have been following the evolution of Confessions of a Sensitive Man, and thus, the interesting evolution of myself, as I have undergone, and am presently going through, an ontological change over the years, you could probably see the character and content that supports the not so ambiguous title of the blog, without me having to discuss what really constitutes being a sensitive man in this day and age and who I am in all of this. That sort of changes today. Sort of.

How amusing. Googling "sensitive man," I came across a few online publications (other than my blog) that provide various angles and interesting insight on the topic. Very amusing. On one hand, there's the "good" side of being a sensitive guy. Dotmoms' Sensitive Man in Training published a proud account of raising a sensitive boy, meriting a congratulations from presumably another mother in the comments section. The benchmark for sensitivity apparently is how well you treat women, as this author subtly cites to how her husband was lacking in that department. On the other hand, however, a somewhat opposing, in-your-face analysis in the article, What is a "Sensitive" Man? poses the philosophical and ironically can-potentially-be-misconstrued-as-insensitive question, "Why do we feel the need to identify men as sensitive or not?" Appropriately, the article was published in askmen.com.

How about ultra-sensitivity to the point that it has become a social issue (perhaps a disorder? are you listening Merck?) that needs to be addressed? Heart-2-heart coins the pseudo-sociopathological term "Ultra-Sensitive Person," and provides some sort of support source for this potentially inhibiting state of being, which interestingly includes being "exceptionally intuitive and artistic," yet has an "urge to hide in a quiet, sometimes dark, room when things are too much." "Don't take yourself too seriously," some might say to that approach. Let's have fun with sensitivity, says the light-hearted man...let's play up the concept of the sensitive man and give him an award...literally. Unilever in London decided to effectuate such a notion by giving the most sensitive man in the United Kingdom a trophy or something like that.

Then there's Bill Clinton.

I am not even sure how I figure in all of this, if I do at all. Some random, but incomplete brain farts:

I have a low threshold for pain, and have been trying to toughen up over the years. Sometimes, when I empathize, I feel worse than the person who is confiding in me. In terms of approach, I don't like it when people are insensitive and I hate it when I am oversensitive. So I enjoy shaping my life to balance out who I am by continuing to be passionate, compassionate, empathetic and emotion-filled, while shaving off unnecessary reactions and taking things too seriously or personally. That being said, I am definitely not the most sensitive person I have met. Not by a mile and not within the 90th percentile among all people I've encountered. In sum, I grew up reacting too much to others, and have since then tried to be chill and less reactive. I enjoy myself more and am more enjoyable to others in the absence of sensitivity-related stress. Balance. It's a good mantra for all things.

The abovementioned articles were interesting reads. I should putter around the net some more and see what other people are saying, but maybe later. Right now, I am psyching myself up for my second-ever session of bikram yoga. Never in my life have I fathomed attempting to bend like a pretzel (those huge ones sold in Manhattan next to the hotdogs). Maybe yoga will help me maintain "balance" in sensitivity.

Who knows? Unilever might give me an award.