RE: How do you do smalltalk as an HSP?
Often we want to talk deeply, and in complex ways to express the full spectrum of our thoughts. Just, in many situations that’s simply too much for the other person, or we’re too quickly going too far for the “normies”…
How do you deal with that in a good way?
I try to keep it simple, when I know I’m talking to a non-HSP.
Holding eye contact can be difficult. One trick is to look at the spot in between the conversation partner’s eyebrows, instead of actually looking into their eyes directly. This can reduce the intensity of having that “soul looking at soul” feeling, and reduce the empathetic influence that distracts us from the conversation. If manageable, I – of course – prefer to hold real eye-contact, still I can look at the side or other spots from time to time, to reduce the intensity of the direct eye contact.