Sensitivity

My entire life I have dealt with the eternal struggle between being sensitive and living in the harsh realities of the world. As a child kids would bully me, and I had two reactions: I could cry and be called a baby, or I could beat them up and/or block out the problem, trying to pretend it didn't bother me. Is it really that much different in our oh-so-mature adult world? When bad things happen, it seems that we have only two choices: we can choose to feel the hurt, or we can choose to ignore it by replacing the pain with other emotions, or by simply blocking out emotion all together. Sure, this solves the problem, right? Block out all emotion, then you won't ever have to feel pain or sadness....

• As Lisa Clark so honestly puts it to perfection, "BEING SENSITIVE SUCKS."

But then, can you feel at all? In this apocalyptic world of reality, is it really so bad to FEEL? Since day one I have been picked on for being sensitive. Even just last week a very good friend of my told me that I am just too sensitive, and that man y of my problems would go away if I could just toughen up a little bit. Could it really be all that simple? Would it be worth it?

Continuing on in my movie marathon of life, I watched BATMAN BEGINS yesterday, and gained some insight to this dilemma. Bruce Wayne, who has been living the life of a criminal and outlaw, has every reason to have "toughened up," and yet as Ducard tries to train and mold him, he can not rid him of this one priceless trait:

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Henri Ducard: Your compassion is a weakness your enemies will not share.
Bruce Wayne: That's why it's so important. It separates us from them.

Having compassion, being sensitive, knowing how to truly feel--is it really all that bad? Throughout the scriptures the good guys were sensitive--sensitive to the people, to situations, to the spirit--and the bad guys were "past feeling,"--right? The Savior Himself is the perfect example; He felt everything; he had to have been sensitive to truly perceive and understand so much, and should we not emulate him? So, is being sensitive a bad thing, like so many would like me to believe? No, it's a great thing, and if you don't like it that's your problem, not mine.