Ohhhh this one. Classic. A narcissistic favorite because it hits you right in the core — your emotions. Your humanity. Your right to feel things. Let’s break this down with a full Ask Eve + IMC Method™ treatment.
Am I really too sensitive, or is he just being cruel?
The Issue:
This question usually surfaces after repeated emotional invalidation. You cry? You’re “dramatic.” You speak up? You’re “too sensitive.” You set a boundary? You’re “attacking him.”
Sound familiar?
It’s not just cruelty — it’s gaslighting with a side of character assassination.
🛠️ IMC Method™ Breakdown
I – Identify
Let’s call it what it is: emotional manipulation disguised as feedback.
When someone dismisses your pain instead of addressing the cause of it, they’re not giving you perspective — they’re denying your right to be hurt. And when they do it over and over again, they’re programming you to doubt yourself.
🚨 Red Flag: If your emotions are always “the problem,” but their behavior never is, you’re being emotionally trained to shut down.
M – Minimize
Here’s what you don’t do: internalize it.
Don’t go into over-explaining. Don’t apologize for how you feel.
Instead:
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- Ground yourself in reality: Was I truly overreacting — or was I reacting to being dismissed, disrespected, or hurt repeatedly?
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- Separate tone from truth: Even if you were emotional, that doesn’t invalidate your message.
✍️ Journal Prompt: “What happened, how did I feel, and what did he say about my feelings?”
Often the feelings are valid — it’s the reaction to them that’s toxic.
C – Control
Flip the narrative. Reclaim your sensitivity as a strength, not a flaw.
Try this:
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- “My feelings aren’t an attack — they’re a signal something’s wrong.”
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- “If you care about me, you don’t get to dismiss how I feel when you’re the one who triggered it.”
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- Set a boundary: “I won’t keep defending my right to feel.”
And if he keeps saying you’re too sensitive? Consider this:
People who weaponize your sensitivity are usually the ones who benefit from your silence.
💬 Final Word:
You are not too sensitive.
You’re finally getting clear.
And when someone can’t handle your emotional truth, it’s often because they caused it — and don’t want to face that mirror.
Let them call it sensitivity.
You’ll call it self-respect.