yes, therapy helps!
Emotional people: 10 traits and characteristics that define them

Emotional people: 10 traits and characteristics that define them

March 12, 2024

Each person is a world and each one of us has different personality characteristics that make us unique. While some individuals are colder and show little their feelings, others are all opposite: they are very sensitive.

In psychology it is known as emotional people , or highly sensitive people (PAS) to those individuals who process sensory data more deeply due to the biological nature of their nervous system. At least this is what some experts have tried to demonstrate.

In this article we will discuss some features and characteristics of emotional people.

The concept of emotional people

Surely we all know someone who is very sensitive, since scientific studies seem to indicate that 1 in 5 people have this characteristic of personality.


Some psychologists think that there is a type of individual called "highly sensitive person" (PAS), a term coined by psychologist Elaine Aron in the early 90s. This thought arises from the publication of his book "The Highly Sensitive Person" , which made her a pioneer and the main leader of this idea. As well it has come to be called emotional people as a simplification of the concept .

How are individuals with high emotionality

Sensitivity is a feature or trait that everyone has to some degree or another, but while some individuals are moderately sensitive, others are moderately sensitive. In general, emotional people present a series of singularities :


  • They process sensory data more deeply due to biological differences within the nervous system.
  • Between 15 and 20% of people are emotional.
  • The number of men and women who are highly sensitive is similar.
  • Emotional people begin to show signs of such sensitivity from the moment of birth
If you want to know more about the PAS, you can read our article: "Highly sensitive people (PAS), a new personality trait?"

Characteristics of emotional people

Studies seem to indicate that the high sensitivity personality trait appears in more than 100 animal species, and according to this theory, the reason is found inat depth of processing , which is responsible for a greater propensity to over stimulation, emotional reactivity, empathy and sensitivity to stimuli.


This type of person presents a series of characteristics. To understand it better, below you can find 10 characteristics of emotional people:

1. They are very empathetic

These kinds of people are very sensitive to the emotions of others, and they easily put themselves in the place of the other , contrary to what happens with narcissistic people. By feeling the emotions more deeply and intensely, they also perceive what others feel more easily and are more sensitive to their feelings.

Empathy is, without a doubt, one of the best qualities of the human being. However, in excess can cause problems, for example, when making decisions rationally.

  • Related article: "Are you empathic? 10 typical features of empathic people "

2. They are more intuitive

Emotional people tend to be very intuitive, since They are more sensitive to context and are more connected to their emotions . In addition, they have the ability to process environmental subtleties consciously or unconsciously, which is as if they process more information than others without even trying.

3. They are more creative

Studies show that these types of individuals are more creative. In fact, a large number of emotional people are attracted and They are developed in creative fields such as art, music, dance, theater, etc. . If you want to know more about creativity, you can visit our article: "The 7 personality traits of creative people"

4. They take longer to make a decision

Since emotional people pick up more subtleties , they usually spend more time thinking and processing information before participating and contributing to a discussion. They are usually people who reason more and, therefore, take more time to make a decision or take action, because they are more aware of the consequences and nuances in the meaning of their decisions. They usually consider more options and possible outcomes before deciding.

5. They tend to feel misunderstood

We live in a society that tends to avoid emotions, where being sensitive is even frowned upon. This type of person usually hears phrases of the style: "Do not worry so much", "You think too much", etc. Emotional people may come to feel that they are misunderstood .

This is more noticeable in the case of men, who culturally have to give an image of strength and protection that does not always fit with that of a sensitive personality. The PAS should not be confused with introversion or extraversion. In fact, while many emotional people are introverted, 30% of them are extroverted.

6. They are more respectful and educated

Emotional people are very aware and empathetic, therefore, they are respectful of others. Being more sensitive to the feelings of others They do not like to do to others what they do not want for them. In addition, they understand better the reactions of others and how their behavior affects interpersonal relationships, so they tend to be more educated.

7. They are very sensitive to criticism

Being empathetic and being an emotionally sensitive person also means that the person fits criticism worse. This happens because they experience emotions more strongly and process information more deeply , both for the good and the bad.

The criticisms are very hurtful because they take them to heart. Some often employ certain strategies to minimize the likelihood of being criticized. For example, they avoid situations where they may experience criticism or meet nice people.

8. They react in a very passionate way

Since emotional people they experience life more intensely and feel greater emotional pain than others . Therefore, they respond and react more intensely than others in a given situation, since they have a greater response to pain, discomfort and emotional experience. They are more susceptible to crying and react more passionately.

9. They work well as a team

Since emotional people are reflective people and possess social skills such as empathy, often offer commitment, understanding and wisdom to a team project . Also, when making decisions, they are good at exploring different approaches and solutions, as well as analyzing the pros and cons. Now, perhaps they falter when it comes to making the final decision.

10. They are more susceptible to anxiety or depression

This type of people absorb positive emotions easily, but also negative ones. And is that unpleasant experiences affect everyone , but especially to these people , who are more likely to suffer from anxiety or depression. This type of individuals tend to reflect and recreate their emotional side, so difficult situations also impact them much more and have a hard time overcoming them.


10 Traits Of An Empath - Signs You Are A Highly Sensitive Person (March 2024).


Similar Articles