Stop Saying “You’re Too Sensitive” – A Peaceful Pivot Toward Empathy

By Dr. Katie Eastman

“You’re too sensitive.”

“You’re being too sensitive.”

As a therapist, these are some of the most destructive phrases I hear repeated in people’s lives.

Why?

Because when someone—often unsure of themselves—hears these words, they translate their very human capacity for empathy and compassion as wrong. They internalize the message that feeling deeply makes them “less than.”

Women, especially, have carried this burden for centuries. We’ve been told:

• “She’s being dramatic.”

• “She’s overreacting.”

• “She’s hysterical.”

These dismissive labels diminish our emotional experience and teach us to distrust our own hearts.

A Peaceful Pause

Instead of silencing or shaming emotions, we can choose a peaceful pivot—one that embraces empathy and honors the human experience.

Try saying:

• “It seems like this is really bothering you.”

• “I can see that this upset you—what do you need from me?”

• “It must be very difficult to feel this deeply about this.”

  
  

These words acknowledge another’s reality, offering space for connection and understanding rather than judgment.

Because here’s the truth: dismissing someone as “too sensitive” usually reflects our own discomfort with emotional expression. Often, people who say these words simply have a limited capacity for emotional awareness—and that’s about them, not the person they’re shaming.

Reclaiming Sensitivity as Strength

As a woman, I can remember countless times in my life being told I was “too sensitive” because I felt deeply and expressed strong emotions. In my younger years, I believed that my emotions made me weaker, less capable.

I’ll never forget a white male authority figure once telling me, “Your passion will be your downfall.”

Little did he know, those words only ignited a fire within me. Today, my passion is one of my greatest strengths—a guiding light that fuels my work, my compassion, and my commitment to building a more peaceful, empathic world.

The Peaceful Commitment

To live peacefully is to stop criticizing someone else’s emotional response to life’s challenges.

If another person’s feelings make you uncomfortable, take a breath. That discomfort is yours to explore, not theirs to fix.

Let’s make a vow together:

• Eliminate the phrase “you’re too sensitive” from our vocabulary.

• Embrace empathy and celebrate those who feel deeply.

We need passionate, emotionally aware individuals—who are often called Passionaries—to remind us of what truly matters. These are the people who can help lead us toward a more compassionate, peaceful world.

Your peaceful practice today:

Pause before you speak. When someone shares their heart, choose compassion over criticism. In doing so, you not only honor their humanity—you help create a world where empathy is seen as a strength, not a flaw.