Too sensitive or too insensitive?

It depends on who you ask.

I have often been told that I am 'too sensitive'. I will read into an accidentally snide remark, I will feel as if I have offended someone very easily, and when someone raises their voice at me, I feel like a child being told off. Being too sensitive is sometimes a problem, since I will get upset or anxious at what may seem to be minuscule things.

But what is the alternative? I know quite a few insensitive people who will always chalk it up to being blunt. The sort of people who tell you 'I'm just being honest' (yes, I'm sure you know these people too). These people often lead you to overthink interactions, and leave you feeling like most of their comments have a condescending undertone. 

I had a situation recently where I felt I was being too sensitive about someone I know being weird with me. I felt though that since this person is quite straightforward, that to bring it up would seem as if I am insulting their personality. I also know that this person is dealing with some stressful things lately, which we sensitive folk tend to forget about when we get upset. When I spoke about the comments that were offending me to someone else, they confirmed that I wasn't being too sensitive. Sometimes, being honest or being blunt is quite rude! A comment that had offended me, when discussed with other people, probably did have some quite classist connotations. 

Though of course, I'm not completely advocating for being sensitive all the time. It means you often get hurt by things that others would not let ruin their day. I am however of the belief that people who are sensitive can know how to be kinder to others, and tread lightly in the same way that we would want someone to talk to them.