50 Inspirational Quotes Every Sensitive Person Needs to Hear

"Don’t be fooled by the stereotype. Sensitivity isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength. Being deeply in tune with your emotions and your environment can help you navigate life with empathy and power."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people aren’t “too emotional” or “overreacting.” They possess the ability to feel deeply and observe keenly, sparking creativity, empathy, and insight. They aren’t broken — they have a gift. Treasure the sensitive people in your life."

- Jenn Granneman

"Don’t let anyone tell you that sensitivity is a weakness. It takes immense strength and courage to navigate this often callous world with deep emotions and an empathetic heart."

- Jenn Granneman

"Create boundaries. Honor your limits. Say no. Take a break. Let go. Stay grounded. Nurture your body. Love your vulnerability. And if all else fails, breathe deeply."

- Aletheia Luna

"We try to be like others. But that leads to our becoming overaroused and distressed. We are a package deal, however. Our trait of sensitivity means we will also be cautious, inward, needing extra time alone. Because people without the trait (the majority) do not understand that, they see us as timid, shy, weak, or that greatest sin of all, unsociable. Fearing these labels, we try to be like others. But that leads to our becoming overaroused and distressed. Then that gets us labeled neurotic or crazy, first by others and then by ourselves."

- Elaine N. Aron

"Dear empath: You are a being of immense depth, wisdom, and compassion. You are a pioneer and trailblazer of humanity, a model for others on how to be sensitive and powerful. All the strength and love you need is already within you, waiting to be discovered."

- Mateo Sol

"Being highly sensitive is both a gift and a responsibility. Learning to thrive as a highly sensitive soul presents challenges. If you’re sensitive, you have likely accumulated years of training in trying to overcome the trait because you don’t ‘fit in’ with society. And yet being highly sensitive is a vital part of you. A first step toward thriving as a sensitive soul is to understand and accept your trait. Hear this now: There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You are just different. As one of my clients says, being highly sensitive is both a gift and a responsibility."

- Jenna Avery

"Being sensitive doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re beautifully in tune with the world around you. Your sensitivity is a special radar that picks up so many little things. Sure, sometimes it feels like too much — but your sensitivity is also a superpower."

- Jenn Granneman

"To feel intensely is not a symptom of weakness, it is the trademark of the truly alive and compassionate. It is not the empath who is broken, it is society that has become dysfunctional and emotionally disabled. There is no shame in expressing your authentic feelings. Those who are at times described as being a ‘hot mess’ or having ‘too many issues’ are the very fabric of what keeps the dream alive for a more caring, humane world. Never be ashamed to let your tears shine a light in this world."

- Anthon St. Maarten

""Too sensitive" is a superpower that makes insensitive people uncomfortable."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people possess superpowers that include deep empathy, intuition, and emotional intelligence. Their ability to read people and situations is unparalleled, making them great leaders, partners, and friends. Stop seeing sensitivity as weak and start celebrating it!"

- Jenn Granneman

"By some strange, unknown, inward urgency they are not really alive unless they are creating. The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To them… a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create — so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, their very breath is cut off… They must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency they are not really alive unless they are creating."

- Pearl Buck

"Highly sensitive people are too often perceived as weaklings or damaged goods. To feel intensely is not a symptom of weakness; it is the trademark of the truly alive and compassionate. It is not the empath who is broken; it is society that has become dysfunctional and emotionally disabled. There is no shame in expressing your authentic feelings. Those who are at times described as being a ‘hot mess’ or having ‘too many issues’ are the very fabric of what keeps the dream alive for a more caring, humane world. Never be ashamed to let your tears shine a light in this world."

- Anthon St. Maarten

"The sad thing that many of us empaths don’t realize is that often our desire to heal others is a disguised cry for help for our own healing."

- Mateo Sol

"As empaths, our high level of sensitivity means that we are prone to feeling like eternal outsiders who are in the world but not quite of the world."

- Aletheia Luna

"Being a sensitive empath is a beautiful thing as an artist. I am very sensitive to the interactions I have with people. Whether it’s a momentary glance in an elevator, or a deep philosophical conversation over dinner, or a brush-by in a café, I feel (sometimes exhaustingly) attuned and affected by the subtle exchanges that pass seemingly benignly between us as human ships. Being a sensitive empath is a beautiful thing as an artist, and it fosters a deep burning curiosity about why we do the things we do."

- Alanis Morissette

"Highly sensitive beings suffer more but they also love harder, dream wider and experience deeper horizons and bliss. When you’re sensitive, you’re alive in every sense of this word in this wildly beautiful world. Sensitivity is your strength. Keep soaking in the light and spreading it to others."

- Victoria Erickson

"Am I too sensitive to be in this world? How do you ever explain the feelings of anxiety and paralyzing fear? I can’t answer those questions. It’s just a feeling of ‘Am I crazy? Am I too sensitive to be in this world?’ A feeling that the world is just too complicated for me right now, and I don’t feel like I belong here. But it passes, and fortunately today I feel blessed for all the good things in my life."

- Winona Ryder

"Sensitive people like a slower pace of life. We like pondering all our options before making a decision and regularly reflecting on our experiences. We hate busy schedules and rushing from one event to the next."

- Jenn Granneman

"There is nothing wrong with you if there are times you get weighed down by the heaviness of the suffering in the world."

- Rachel Samson

"Everything I experience hits me deep, raw, and intense. As an empath, I feel the energy of myself and others. As I age, this ability only grows deeper and stranger."

- Sylvester McNutt III

"Even a moderate and familiar stimulation like a day at work can cause a highly sensitive person to need quiet by evening."

- Elaine N. Aron

"Highly sensitive people tend to have stronger emotional responses than others. Partly, this is because they notice so many emotional cues that others miss, so they’re very ‘tuned in’ to feelings. But it’s also because HSPs process things so deeply. Imagine if you felt every emotion five times longer and five times louder; that’s kind of what it’s like to be an HSP."

- Andre Sólo

"The real warriors in this world are the ones that see the details of another’s soul. They see the transparency behind walls people put up. They stand on the battlefield of life and expose their heart’s transparency, so others can finish the day with hope. They are the sensitive souls that understand that before they could be a light they first had to feel the burn."

- Shannon L. Alder

"The highly sensitive person has an important mission, which is to serve as a balance to the more aggressive behavior of some of the non-HSPs who advocate a less than nurturing policy toward humans, animals, and Mother Nature."

- Ted Zeff

"By noticing and processing so many details around them — not to mention their own internal thoughts — highly sensitive people are doing far more cognitive work than most others. Being overstimulated and frazzled is something anyone can identify with, but for HSPs, it happens much more easily."

- Andre Sólo

"One of my favorite aspects of high sensitivity is finding wonder in the smallest of things."

- Cati Vanden Breul

"High sensitivity is not a disease or a disorder. It’s not something that needs to be overcome or fixed."

- Jenn Granneman

"The struggle of my life created empathy – I could relate to pain, being abandoned, having people not love me."

- Oprah Winfrey

"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."

- Mother Teresa

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

- Leo Buscaglia

"Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams."

- Ashley Smith

"Sensitivity isn’t being wimpy. It’s about being so painfully aware that a flea landing on a dog is like a sonic boom. I enjoy a lot of mystery."

- Jeff Buckley

"She had a very inconvenient heart. It always insisted on feeling things ever so deeply."

- John Mark Green

"I had always been a sensitive person with tons of little cracks and as strong and self-reliant as I could act, it took very little for someone to enter those cracks and hurt me."

- Jacqueline Simon Gunn

"We cannot be more sensitive to pleasure without being more sensitive to pain."

- Alan Watts

"Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you."

- Roger Ebert

"The purpose of life is to help others, and if you can’t help them, won’t you at least not hurt them? I know that is a platitude, that that is sentimental and can easily be attacked. But loving, caring is simple, and we make it complex. Our own neuroses make it complex."

- Leo Buscaglia

"Your life is your canvas, and you are the masterpiece. There are a million ways to be kind, amazing, fabulous, creative, bold, and interesting."

- Kerli

"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."

- Mahatma Gandhi

"Sensitive people care when the world doesn’t because we understand waiting to be rescued and no one shows up. We have rescued ourselves, so many times that we have become self taught in the art of compassion for those forgotten."

- Shannon L. Alder

"Because the sensitive mind is wired to go deep, sensitivity is often linked to brilliance. Sensitive people notice details, make more connections between topics, and don’t give up easily, which often leads to better solutions and more creative artwork and ideas."

- Jenn Granneman

"Too often, we think of sensitivity as a flaw or a weakness. Society tells sensitive people to “toughen up” or “stop being so sensitive!” The truth is that sensitivity is a gift and an advantage in life."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people have a special gift: they experience emotions deeply. This profound connection to the world around them can help them create art that resonates on a deep level, whether it’s painting, writing, or music. Their art isn’t just seen or heard — it’s felt."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people feel the weight of the world, absorbing emotions like sponges, and sometimes, it can really hurt. But sensitive people also feel joy more passionately and give compassion more generously. When we love, it is deep and enduring."

- Jenn Granneman

"Highly Sensitive People see the world not just with their eyes, but also with their hearts. Sure, they can be hurt easily, and those wounds can run deep. But they also love and inspire others like no one else can."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people are usually very aware of their own emotions. They pay close attention to how they feel and think about it later. They can also understand how others feel and empathise with them. These are just a few of their many superpowers."

- Jenn Granneman

"If you’re sensitive, your deep emotionality is why you’re an exceptional listener, why people naturally trust you, and why you’re probably the go-to confidant when anyone in your friend group needs advice."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people feel their emotions strongly, whether it be joy or grief. While it can be tough, it’s important to honour their emotional depth. We need to banish the idea that it’s not OK to show our feelings and create a world that prioritises empathy and support for all."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people might get overwhelmed by loud or intense situations, and others might not understand why. It’s helpful when friends or family see when a sensitive person is feeling too much and say, “It’s okay to take a break.” Having people who get them makes a big difference."

- Jenn Granneman

"For sensitive people, feeling overstimulated is normal. Instead of beating yourself up when you feel overwhelmed, remember that your brain is doing what it does best: going deep. Focus on the positive aspects of your sensitivity and remind yourself that it’s OK to take breaks."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people need downtime not because they’re weak, but because they experience life in high definition. Breaks are key to processing the world’s vibrant colours, intricate patterns, and profound emotions. Embrace the quiet; it’s where the magic of deep understanding happens."

- Jenn Granneman

"If you’re a Highly Sensitive Person, downtime is non-negotiable. It’s not about being lazy or avoiding responsibilities. It’s about giving yourself the space to recharge your energy and process your emotions and experiences."

- Jenn Granneman

"If you’re a sensitive person, your emotions can feel overwhelming at times. You may worry that your reactions are “too big” or not justified. Instead of trying to suppress or ignore your emotions, hear their messages. Don’t act on every message, but listen and consider it."

- Jenn Granneman

"Here’s to the sensitive souls. To the observers, the empaths, the hearts-on-their-sleeves. You who go through life noticing and feeling more, which is both a gift and a challenge. Embrace your sensitivity because the world needs you."

- Jenn Granneman

"You’ll never be seen as “too sensitive” by someone who respects your feelings."

- Jenn Granneman

"“You’re too sensitive” is a harmful phrase that invalidates the experiences of sensitive people. Emotions are valid and should never be dismissed as weakness. Let’s create a world that celebrates emotional depth and empathy, and reject toxic narratives that shame vulnerability."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people crave meaning in their relationships. Often, they are masters of connecting with others and creating emotional intimacy. In a time when society is more divided than ever before, they seek to draw us closer to one another."

- Jenn Granneman

"If you are a sensitive person, your body and mind respond more to the world around you. You respond more to heartbreak, pain, and loss, but you also respond more to beauty, new ideas, and joy."

- Jenn Granneman

"For sensitive people, a little support can go a long way. A kind word, a listening ear, or a safe space can make all the difference for them. Let’s show compassion and understanding for those who experience the world differently."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people are often misunderstood as fragile, when in reality they possess an incredible strength and resilience. Their ability to feel deeply, reflect, and overcome life’s challenges is a testament to their true inner power."

- Jenn Granneman

"If you’re a sensitive person, you have a special ability: you love deeply. Sometimes this leads to pain, because not everyone can match your level of caring and intimacy. In a world that is often harsh, protect your heart and choose your inner circle wisely."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people build strong and meaningful relationships. They understand emotions well and can often tell what others are feeling even without them saying it. They tend to be kind and supportive, which makes people feel emotionally safe with them."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people crave a deep sense of meaning in their lives. They want to make a difference and live a purposeful life. This desire drives them to pursue their passions and make a positive impact on the world around them."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitivity often goes hand in hand with creativity. The same depth of feeling that sometimes makes the world overwhelming also fuels creative energy. Sensitive souls have a rich inner life that often manifests in art, writing, or music."

- Jenn Granneman

"Although society thinks sensitivity is a flaw, it’s actually an asset. Sensitive people are artists, leaders, and creators who think outside the box."

- Jenn Granneman

"It’s OK to cry. It’s OK to feel things deeply. Let yourself feel how you feel. You’re a sensitive person."

- Jenn Granneman

"All humans are sensitive to some degree. There are times when all of us cry, get our feelings hurt, or reflect deeply on life. But some individuals are more responsive to their surroundings and experiences than others are. These are the Highly Sensitive People."

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people are driven by an internal quest for meaning. When something doesn’t feel right, it can be difficult for them to push through and just “do it anyway.”"

- Jenn Granneman

"Sensitive people may once have been our weather predictors, spiritual advisers, and trackers. Take that same trait and apply it to a teacher, a stock market trader, or a CEO, and you can see how sensitive people are still built to thrive today — even if society doesn’t think so."

- Jenn Granneman

"As a sensitive person, your empathy can be a double-edged sword. Narcissists often exploit it for their own benefit, leaving you feeling used and unable to express your feelings and set boundaries. If you’ve ever experienced this, you may have been with a narcissist."

- Jenn Granneman

"Being a sensitive person can make you more vulnerable to narcissists, who exploit empathy for their own gain. If you’ve ever felt used or unable to assert your needs, rights, or boundaries in a relationship, you may have been with a narcissist without realizing it."

- Jenn Granneman

"Narcissists are drawn to sensitive people because they crave the validation, attention, and support that sensitive people naturally provide. However, this dynamic will drain and damage the sensitive person. Know the signs of narcissism and protect yourself."

- Jenn Granneman

"Being a sensitive person is like having a super sharp ear in a noisy crowd. Although sometimes it’s painful, you can hear faint sounds and whispers that others don’t catch."

- Jenn Granneman

"I’m a romantic, and we romantics are more sensitive to the way people feel. We love more, and we hurt more. When we’re hurt, we hurt for a long time."

- Freddy Fender

"Highly sensitive people learned early in life to try to control the external world as a way to attempt to manage their inner one."

- Sheryl Paul

"Sensitivity is often treated like a problem to be fixed. But being sensitive doesn’t mean you’re weak or easily breakable. It means you feel and experience things on a deep level… including other people’s bullshit."

- Jenn Granneman

"If we’re destroying our trees and destroying our environment and hurting animals and hurting one another and all that stuff, there’s got to be a very powerful energy to fight that. I think we need more love in the world. We need more kindness, more compassion, more joy, more laughter. I definitely want to contribute to that."

- Ellen DeGeneres

"Relying on the power of kindness is a sensitive undertaking. The challenge is to inspire people to be kind more often without tainting the selflessness that comes from doing something nice with no ulterior motive."

- Daniel Lubetzky

"His heart was like a sensitive plant, that opens for a moment in the sunshine, but curls up and shrinks into itself at the slightest touch of the finger, or the lightest breath of wind."

- Anne Bronte

"I think recharging is important, absolutely. Every now and then, you need maybe a couple of weeks to just chill out and let your emotions balance themselves out a little bit."

- Malin Akerman

"No beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart."

- Shanina Shaik

"When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator."

- Mahatma Gandhi

"There’s beauty everywhere. There are amazing things happening everywhere, you just have to be able to open your eyes and witness it. Some days, that’s harder than others."

- Sarah McLachlan

"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive."

- Eleonora Duse

"As a highly sensitive person, every little thing elicits a strong reaction in me."

- Tracy M. Kusmierz

"I’m very sensitive in real life. I cannot not cry if someone around me is crying. I will start to cry if someone is crying, even if it’s not appropriate. I have that thing in me, a weakness or sensitivity."

- Jessica Chastain

"As a highly sensitive person, I can sense your mood from a mile away. Don’t try to hide it. You’re not fooling me."

- Tracy M. Kusmierz

"Change can be especially stressful for sensitive people, who feel more deeply and pick up on subtle cues in their environment. Make self-care a priority and find healthy ways to manage the stress, whether that’s through exercise, therapy, or building in extra downtime."

- Jenn Granneman

"They hear nearly every sound, notice every movement, and process the expression on every person’s face. And that means that simply walking through a public space can be an assault on their senses."

- Andre Sólo

"I can’t stand chaos. I hate loud environments. Art makes me cry. No, I’m not crazy; I’m a textbook example of a highly sensitive person."

- Anne Marie Crosthwaite

"It seems my heart is made of tissue paper; I wish the world would handle it more delicately."

- Richelle E. Goodrich

"Empathy is about standing in someone else’s shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes. Not only is empathy hard to outsource and automate, but it makes the world a better place."

- Daniel H. Pink

"Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself"

- Mohsin Hamid

"Sensitivity, awareness, and conflict – these have catalysed my creative growth."

- Sobhita Dhulipapa

"No matter who it is or how comfortable you are with someone, when anyone yells at you or talks down to you, you immediately erupt in tears."

- Lauren Jarvis-Gibson

"I’m extremely-extremely sensitive. I can cry at the drop of a hat… Anything upsets me. I cry all the time. I cry when I’m happy too."

- Mandy Moore

"I have no doubt in my mind that the new generation has a sense of unity and sensitivity that previous generations lacked. We are strong, and we are visionaries beyond just money."

- Barbie Ferreira

"Introverts probably have a higher degree of sensitivity to outside stimulus and tend to back off. In your quiet shyness as a child, you end up with an accumulation of thoughts and ideas, building up big, imaginative worlds. You have to get it all out somehow, so it goes into your work."

- Matt Bellamy

"I’m a passionate person; there’s a lot going on underneath my carousel of blazers: a cauldron of sensitivity and emotion."

- Sue Perkins

"I hate having to do small talk. I’d rather talk about deep subjects. I’d rather talk about meditation, or the world, or the trees or animals, than small, inane, you know, banter."

- Ellen Degeneres

"Peace of mind for five minutes, that’s what I crave."

- Alanis Morissette

"You desperately want to be understood."

- Marisa Donnelly

"I think that listening to music or creating music is a spiritual undertaking, so the process of creating music, you know, involves listening. It involves sensitivity, it involves humility, you know, and then also it’s something which is higher than words."

- Matisyahu

"The loving parts of your personality have no trouble loving. That is all they do. You experience the loving parts of as gratitude, appreciation, caring, patience, contentment and awe of life."

- Gary Zukav

"Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use."

- Emily Post

"I don’t know if it’s because my sensitivity is through the roof, but I can’t stand contrived dialogue anymore."

- Jeff Baena

"For a highly sensitive person, a drizzle feels like a monsoon."

- Anonymous