Tenderness is associated with sensitivity.
From the Latin sensibilĭtas , sensitivity is the faculty of feeling (typical of sensitive and animated beings). The term takes on different meanings depending on the context.
Sensitivity may be the natural propensity of human beings to let themselves be carried away by the affections of tenderness and compassion . For example: "The photo of a malnourished child awakened my sensitivity and I decided to collaborate" , "My husband does not like those films, it seems that his sensitivity is not very developed" , "To work in the hospital you have to leave the sensitivity of side and not engaging emotionally with patients .
Sensitivity in art
Humanity , tenderness or empathy are other elements that are associated with someone being considered with a significant level of sensitivity. That is vital to establish that, throughout history, it has inspired many artists and writers as well as musicians. A good example of this is the set of works that take her as a reference and that even make her the protagonist in their titles. Among the best known is the novel "Sense and Sensibility."
The British author Jane Austen was the one who created this narrative in 1811, which takes as protagonists the Dashwood sisters, two young people who have to face a complicated personal moment such as the death of their father and the move to a new home. , a secluded space in the countryside where they will live with their mother and her sister.
The two women come to represent precisely the duality of the title of the work, since one, the eldest, is the most rational of the two and the one who is always capable of controlling her impulses. Meanwhile, the little one is the most sensitive, the most emotional and the one who always lets herself be carried away by what she feels.
Solidarity is born from sensitivity to the pain of others.
Differences with sentimentality
It is important to determine that, sometimes, the term sensitivity is often confused with sentimentality. The first we can make clear that it is the feeling that makes us human, that leads us to identify with the problems of our equal. Meanwhile, the second term refers more to that sensitivity that is false or forced.
In an artistic context, sensitivity is linked to aesthetic intention . Sensitive people, in this sense, have a propensity to express themselves through art and to show various nuances: "He is a painter of great sensitivity," "The new film once again demonstrates the sensitivity of this filmmaker."
Sensitivity as the ability to perceive stimuli and as a measure of effectiveness
For biology , sensitivity is the ability of living beings to perceive stimuli , both internal and external, through the senses . The nervous system has a physiological function that allows us to detect physical or chemical variations through the sensory organs: "In this part of the hand we have greater sensitivity," "An accident caused me to lose sensitivity in my fingers."
Sensitivity, finally, is the measure of effectiveness of some devices or machines . The concept refers to the ability to detect a magnitude or respond to an order: "This is a highly sensitive device, capable of detecting objects that are buried more than one hundred meters away."