Feature

Sensible Sensitivity

Kh. Asef Safa Kabir

PSYCHOLOGISTS believe crying helps us alleviate our innermost traumas. However, in this world there are people who seldom shed tears. These are essentially the people who don't sense a lump in their throat while watching intense dramas like Othello and Hamlet. Some people can easily forget something that has once been regarded by them as the most precious possession. Without the slightest hesitation or emotional consideration these people can forsake their best companions and finest memories. Perhaps, these people are extremely pragmatic and they are not usually bothered by the poignant occurrences that happen around them except matters that directly affect their fundamental self-interest. The common term we use to define these people is 'insensitive' as they are devoid of a blissful blessing called 'sensitivity'. More specifically, sensitivity can be regarded as the exquisite quality of the enigmatic human nature that enables us to be emotionally aware, responsive and empathetic. 'Insensitive people' generally evaluate every aspect of life in the light of its practical and materialistic significance. In contrast, 'sensitive individuals' cope with every phenomenon of life with a more emotive and sentimental focus.

Although I have regarded sensitivity as a blessing, many of us actually regard it as a curse, as this quality often makes a man emotionally vulnerable and impractically romantic. It's a fact that sensitive people are frequently subjected to emotional blackmailing. The inability to be heartless for practical gains is the ominous 'Achilles Heel' of sensitive individuals who usually find it difficult to be selfish enough to care only for their narrow self-interest. They are unable to be realistic at the expense of the emotional sentiments of life. As a result, sensitive people have to confront many emotional dilemmas. They frequently have to compromise with life and they often suffer from acute indecisiveness. On the other hand, insensitive people don't endure such sentimental quandaries. They are cold, aggressive and ambitious enough to ensure the best for themselves at any cost. Most importantly, they do not hesitate to sacrifice even their very soul to ensure their triumph in the ruthless game of life. Perhaps, like the sensitive individuals they do not yearn for the intrinsic rewards like warmness, compassion and love. Instead, they crave for the basic extrinsic achievements like a luminous career, fame and financial stability.

In contrast, sensitive people don't aim for the flesh; they rather aim for the responsive heart wrapped up in the warm flesh! They have a penchant for the priceless intangibles of life, not the pricey tangibles. Perhaps, that's why most of the poets and artists are characterized by this magnificent quality called sensitivity. Although sensitive people confront many emotional hazards, I still believe sensitivity is one of our greatest inherent attributes as sensitive people spontaneously fall in love over and over again, even if that means standing helpless against the whole world. It's a fact that a sensitive person might not always be driven by precise logic but he or she almost always possesses a golden heart. That's the reason why we need sensitive people in the powerful positions who can really empathize and make a difference. Generally, people occupying the uppermost ranks in their respective fields are devoid of sensitivity as 'reaching the top' and 'being the best' often make us blindly aggressive by demanding countless brutal sacrifices. And sensitive people are never good at being aggressive. As a result, the common reality of the world is that people who have a 'head' practical enough to help them occupy the best status, don't have a 'heart' sensitive enough to encourage them to use their commanding status for the needed philanthropic deeds.

An insensitive man might never be able to explore the deepest human emotions, whereas extreme sensitivity can make a person disproportionately quixotic and reluctant to face life practically. As a result, I believe we must seek to reach an equilibrium state between our emotive and pragmatic characteristics. Our quest to be practical must not erode our sentimental values. Similarly, our sensitive qualities should never jeopardize our basic common-sense. That's how we can link our 'sensible mind' to our 'sensitive heart'.

(The writer is a student of NSU)