Continuing the month dedicated to "Highly Sensitive Women", Alanis Morissette s story is intertwined by her high sensitivity. Like many people, she was able to name her way of being by reading Dr. Elaine Aron's book (see last week's post).
Alanis stands out as an artist who turned her deep sensitivity into a source of strength and inspiration and has spoken about her High Sensitivity publicly.
Childhood and Rise to Fame
From an early age, Alanis showed a keen sensitivity and an inclination for artistic expression. Growing up in Ottawa, Canada, she began her music career as a teenager, releasing two albums in Canada before achieving worldwide fame with "Jagged Little Pill" in 1995.
About her high sensitivity she states in the documentary Sensitive: The Untold Story: "I spent most of my life thinking that I and my way of being were a problem for other people."
Acceptance of Sensitivity
The release of "Jagged Little Pill" marked a turning point not only in Alanis' career, but also in the way sensitivity and emotion were perceived in mainstream music.
With lyrics that spoke openly about anger, pain, love and redemption, Alanis opened a new space for vulnerability in pop culture, inspiring a generation.
Fun fact: Her international debut album was the best-selling album by a woman around the world, with more than 33 million copies.
Fame and High Sensitivity
In interviews, Alanis reveals that because she is highly sensitive, she feels overwhelmed more quickly in situations where there is a lot of stimulus. Obviously touring, career demands, crowded places and being a mother of three children are factors that need to be balanced with continuous breaks and rest.
When she feels overstimulated, she isolates herself for 12 or 6 minutes to recover her “battery”. And even before the shows, a prerequisite is that there is a space where she can isolate herself and sit alone to center herself.
Self-knowledge and self-care are important for anyone, but for HSP it really is a survival mechanism.
Patriarchal Society and High Sensitivity
Alanis Morissette touches on a very important point. In her conversation with Dr. Elaine Aron, when thanking her for going deep into her discoveries, Alanis also says that in a patriarchal scientific society it must have been necessary to be very carefully grounded in evidence, especially when we have a society that aims to avoid more emotional side of things which is exactly what the HSP model is about.
It seems to me that Alanis highlights here not only the fact that Dr. Elaine is a woman, but also because she is a researcher of human sensitivity, culturally associated with the feminine. The trait, however, is found in both sexes.
A Voice for Sensitivity
Over the years, Alanis has become an advocate for mental health and self-awareness, using her platform to openly discuss her own struggles and learnings.
Her music and activism offer us a powerful testimony to the strength that lies in sensitivity and vulnerability. I believe this encourages others to find their own voice.
To complete
Alanis Morissette's story is a vibrant reminder that high sensitivity, far from being a weakness, is a source of power and authenticity.
And as Alanis herself states: it has its pros and cons. While she can easily become overwhelmed, she can also perceive life in more detail and with greater depth.