Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1914-11-20
GETTING OVER YOUR SENSITIVE.
NESS.
Copyright by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate

Copyright by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
GETTING OVER YOUR SENSITIVE
NESS.
[ know a bright, well-trained young
lady, whose intimate friends, and even
her near relatives, have to be continu-
ally on the watch for fear Of wound
ing her. She broods over a joking re-
mark until she magnifies it into an in
suit. She makes herself miserable for
days over a fancied slight and ex-
hausts the patience OF her friends by
asking them to explain what they
meant by certain expressions, looks or
gestures. People who are at first at
tracted by her nan amiable quail
ties soon fall away from her because
of the exactions imposed b" her over
constituencies.
Over-sensitiveness is really an eX-
aggerated form Of elf-cOnsciousness.
1t is far removed from conceit or self
esteem, yet it causes one's own per-
s~onality to overshadow everything
else. A sensitive person feels that,
whatever she does, wherever h goes
or whatever she says, she is the center
of conversation. She imagines that
people are criticizing her movements,
making fun at her expense or analyz-
ing her character, when they are
probably not thinking of her at all.
She does not realize that other people
are too busy and too much interested
in themselves and in other things to
devote to her any of their time beyond
what is absolutely necessary. When
she thinks they are making remarks
about her, putting Sights upon her,
or trying to hold her up to the ridi-
Guile of others, they may not even be
conscious of her presence.
Thousands of young women are
held back from undertaking what
they long to do, and are kept from
trying to make real their life-dreams,
because they are afraid to jostle with
the world, They shrink from ex-
posing their sore and sensitive spots,
which smart from the slightest touch.
Their supersensitiveness makes cow
ards of them.
The great majority of people, no
matter how rough in manner or bear
ing, are kind-hearted, and would
much rather help thar hinder fellow
beings; besides. they have all they
car do to attend to their own affairs,
and have no time to spend in min
utely analyzing the nature and feel
ings Of those whom they meet in
the course of their daily business. In
the busy world of affairs 1t is give
and take, touch and go, and those
who expect to get on must rid them
selves Of all morbid constituencies.
If they do not, they doom themselves
to unhappiness and failure.
A college course is of inestimable
value to a girl OF over-rcfned sensi-
bilities. Oftentimes when girls enter
college, they are so touchy hat their
sense of honor is constantly being
hurt and their pride stung by the
unconscious thrusts of classmates
and companions. But after they have
been in college "a term, and have
been rubbing up against other girls,
they realize that it would be the
most foolish thing in the world to
betray resentment. If one shows that
she is hurt, she knows she will be un-
popular and will often be laughed
at. She is simply forced to drop the
foolish weakness. Girls who are NOR
bidly. sensitive on entering college,
often come out at the end of their
four years curse with their exces.
sive irritability cured by repeated
doses of common sense.
There are many, however, who must
go through life without going through
college,; and If these are troubled with
constituencies, they must be their own
healers. They must learn hat real
nobility and courage and effectiveness
sonal happiness and success, are i'm
possible to n who is crippled by a
supersensitive nature.
What shall l do to get rid of it,"
a girl asks. Think less of yourself
and more of others. Mingle freely
with the people. Become interested
in things outside of yourself. Do not
brood over what is said to you or
analyze every simple remark until you
magnify it into something of the
greatest importance. Do not have
such a low and unjust estimate of
people as tt think they are ben on
nothing but hurting the feelings of
others, and deprecating n making
light of them on every possible occa
sion. A girl who appreciates herself
at her true value, and who gives her
neighbors credit for being at least as
good as she is, will not be the victim