Unique Travelers and The Too Toos

Have you ever been criticized for being too serious, too sensitive, too concerned, too excited, too TOO?  Well, here's some information that might put you at ease about your intensity.  Let's have a look at a Polish psychiatrist named Kazimierz Dabrowski (1902-1980).  He developed the Theory of Positive Disintegration which basically says that internal struggle and even suffering are essential to progressing to higher levels of development.  This process moves one away from a self-centered focus and toward altruism and moral development.  Not everyone advances in this way.  Though higher intelligence levels are not essential, the combination of innate ability or intelligence with overexcitabilities (OE) makes it more likely that one will.


Overexcitabilities are innate tendencies that manifest in a heightened reaction to stimuli.  Individuals who have this natural tendency experience things more deeply resulting in a qualitatively different way of experiencing the world as described by Piechowski. This experience and the reaction to it can lead to others defining  these individuals as too much.  Though as a society we benefit from the individual who can intensely focus on finding a solution to a problem or work tirelessly to help victims of a disaster or write a novel that can dramatically shift our perspective, we're witnessing the product.  We often praise the outcome but criticize the personality that has been responsible for creating it.

I know this is a lot to digest, so let me describe the five types of OEs and you can determine for yourself if they characterize the unique traveler in you.

• Psychomotor OE: characterized by restlessness, large capacity for activity, a need for movement and drivenness--may talk rapidly and a lot, have nervous habits and be misdiagnosed with ADHD
• Sensual OE: characterized by a heightened awareness of and reaction to the senses, both positive and negative, including sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing--may be deeply moved by art, music and social issues and may become easily overstimulated
• Intellectual OE: characterized by a need to understand, find the truth and analyze--may be a voracious reader, be capable of sustained intellectual pursuits and require logic and fairness
• Imaginational OE: characterized by a rich imagination, use of imagery and metaphor and vivid dreams--may blur the lines between fact and fiction, have a rich fantasy life, have difficulty focusing and drift off into their imagination
• Emotional OE: characterized by intense feelings both positive and negative, complex emotions and the ability to empathize with others--may be seen as melodramatic, be deeply committed to relationships and have a large capacity for compassion

Can you see how individuals who have a combination of these OEs may see the world through a different lens than many?  Does it make sense that at times this experience could be joyous while other times it could leave one feeling out of sync with others and frustrated?  If you can relate to any of the OEs, can you see how understanding that they are a natural part of who you are might make your unique travels a little more comfortable?


What is your reaction to learning a little about overexcitabilities?  What would you like to understand better?