A film, an HSP and getting exercised about things

I was at a National Theatre Live event the other day.  That’s a film of a play done in front of a live audience.  It lets stuff being done in London be shown all over the country.

I’ve seen a few of them now, starring Jodie Comer (Prima Facie), Andrew Scott (Vanya), David Tennant (Good).  And, along the same lines, Coldplay’s concert from Buenos Aires.

The lead actor in last week’s film was Sandra Oh (Jodie’s Comer’s pursuer in Killing Eve).  The play was ‘The Misanthrope’, a translation of a Moliere play.  Which all sounds very grand …

The title means someone who doesn’t like (even hates) people.  But what I took from the character was someone who doesn’t put up with bulls**t and expects things to be done properly.

As a result, she gets exercised about a lot of things.  Others want to just go with the flow and let things go.  Not her.

She wasn’t an HSP but I recognise those traits in myself and believe they are part of me being an HSP.  Wanting truth, honesty and realness, and valuing effort, quality and thoroughness.

The last line of the play was around Oh’s character being rejected for the way she was (an experience many an HSP can relate to).  As she exits the stage, one of the other characters says ‘We’re better off without her’ as everyone returns to the party.

That line and the context landed somewhere in me.  It captured something I recognised – when my take on things (as an HSP) wasn’t welcome.

And I had an interesting discussion after the film.  My companion and I agreed it made us reflect on life, but in very different ways.

They felt it showed you should let things go and not get exercised about things.   I felt it showed that people who cared about things and called them out were seen as the bad guy and the problem.

I spoke to a fellow HSP about it.  She had the same perspective as me.  The next day she told me about something she was listening to.  It was about ‘the art of fighting’ (Priya Parker’s new book).  She believes that fighting for something shows you care.  That something matters.

Synchronicity and validation.  I’ll take that take.  And keep getting exercised about things that matter.