It’s perfectly understandable that highly sensitive people find many aspects of our current world uncomfortable, and even overwhelming at times.
Unfettered industrial growth has created environments that often feel jarring to our sensitive nervous systems, so it’s natural that we have a tendency to retreat into that which feels safe and familiar.
But here’s the thing: there is such a thing as too much comfort.
The relentless pursuit of comfort and convenience has hidden consequences that can degrade our individual, social, and environmental well-being.
If we want to foster greater individual and societal resilience while reducing the negative impacts of our comfort-driven lifestyles on the planet, we need to pause to consider the costs of our choices and reevaluate our priorities.
The Comfort Bias
Human beings are wired for comfort. Our brains are finely tuned to seek pleasure and avoid discomfort or pain.
This instinctual drive has served us throughout our evolutionary history. Yet, the level of comfort we enjoy today—and have come to expect—is a relatively recent development and not reflective of what we considered to be “needs” throughout the majority of human history.
(As a side note, much of this article critiques the modern comforts that come with a certain level of privilege that may not be fully applicable to everyone reading.)
Endless hot showers, oversized houses that require enormous energy use, and a constant stream of disposable consumer goods have become the norm, despite the fact that the planet and its inhabitants cannot sustain this way of living.
Let’s not romanticize going back to the past, but instead pause to ask ourselves:
What does a more reasonable balance that respects and supports the well-being of our social and natural worlds look like now?
The Hidden Costs of the Pursuit of Comfort
Excessive comfort comes at a cost at various levels, and it’s time we start examining and acknowledging it.
Individual Consequences
Avoiding discomfort can limit our ability to grow and realize our capacity. When we stay within our comfort bubbles, we narrow our worlds, making it harder to deal with life’s challenges when we are inevitably faced with them.
As HSPs, we may love quiet alone time, but too much isolation can mean missing out on developing meaningful relationships. We may enjoy the routines and creature comforts of our homes, but then we neglect our adaptability as humans–something I believe we need to nurture in today’s world.
There’s also been a trend for some time with setting boundaries and “saying no”. While setting healthy boundaries and finding the courage to decline invitations or requests are undoubtedly important, it’s possible to go overboard to a point that’s destructive to our own personal growth and the health of our relationships.
Relational Consequences
Our pursuit of comfort often leads to the creation of echo chambers and filter bubbles, which is only exacerbating biases and divisiveness in our society.
Shutting out different perspectives hinders our ability to engage with diverse ideas and meaningful dialogue. In doing so, we jeopardize the health of our democracy, as open discourse and collaboration are essential for its vitality.
It’s important to note that for highly sensitive people, having connections to like-minded people can be critical for embracing who we are. At the same time, we need to be careful that we don’t restrict our social connections to those only who share our values–or ways of thinking and behaving.
Environmental & Societal Consequences
Perhaps the most significant and far-reaching consequence of our relentless pursuit of comfort is the toll it takes on the environment and society.
We may not question the environmental footprint of our large homes, energy-intensive lifestyles, and the consumption of goods we believe will make us happier.
Yet, this thirst for physical comfort and material convenience blinds us to the environmental degradation and labor exploitation that often lie behind our modern comforts.
We become complicit with habits that contribute to climate change, resource depletion, and social injustices that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities.
As responsible global citizens, we need to confront the uncomfortable truth that our comfort often comes at the expense of others and the planet.
Re-imagining Comfort, Resilience & Sustainability
To build a more resilient and sustainable future, we can confront our comfort biases and ask some essential questions:
- How much is enough? Challenge the status quo and evaluate what level of comfort is necessary, reasonable, and truly enhances your quality of life.
- What are the impacts of my choices? Consider whether your choices narrow your world, dampen resilience, or negatively impact others or the environment.
- What are my values and priorities? Reflect on what truly matters to you and whether your choices around comfort align with your core ethics and values.
We don’t all have to nudge our edges of comfort in the same way at the same time. But by leaning into discomfort, we can take actions toward a more sustainable, healthy, and resilient future for ourselves and the planet.