Alan Watts, Belonging, and The Highly Sensitive Person
Alan Watts described the power of language in shaping the way we view the world. From a young age, we grow up immersed in collective images and myths that frame our place as human beings. In the Western world, we traditionally fall into two main ways of conceptualising human belonging: the Ceramic Model and the Fully Automatic Model of the universe. Yet, for those who feel the world deeply, these explanations can seem alienating.
Watts offers a further way of thinking about our connection to the world, which opens up a fresh way to think about belonging. For highly sensitive people (HSPs), this shift in perspective can offer a profound sense of relief and belonging, moving us away from rigid expectations and towards a deeper, more authentic connection with ourselves and the world.
The Ceramic and Fully Automatic Models of the Universe
In the Ceramic Model of the universe, life is seen as something created by an external force, like a craftsman shaping clay. Humans are placed into the world, separate from it, to fulfil a predetermined purpose. This idea can feel constraining for many, as it reinforces a sense of being out of place as if we must fit into a mould created for us.
The Fully Automatic Model of the universe presents a more mechanical view, where life runs on autopilot, governed by biological and chemical processes. This model can feel equally alienating, especially for HSPs who pick up on the nuances of life’s complexity and beauty and find a sense of meaning beneath the material and mechanistic.
Both models suggest a separateness between people and the world around us—a feeling many highly sensitive people may struggle with. But Watts suggests another way of understanding our place in life.
Growing Out of the World, Not Into It
He switches the way we think about it. “We say ‘I came into this world’ – we didn’t, we grow out of it.” Like an apple tree produces apples, this universe produces humans.
For HSPs, this reframe can give us ground for a sense of unconditional belonging in a sometimes unaccommodating world. Rather than feeling like outsiders trying to find a place in the world, we are reminded that we are the world. Like trees growing from the soil, we emerge. We’re not separate or misplaced; we’re deeply interconnected with the world, and our sensitivity reflects that connection. Sensory processing sensitivity is part of the ecosystem of humankind and is found in many species as an effective survival strategy.
Everything we sense—the sights, sounds, textures, and emotions that we so easily pick up on—has grown out of the same world we come from. For HSPs, this understanding can offer a sense of grounding. Rather than trying to fit into a world that feels overwhelming or misaligned, we can begin to see ourselves as integral parts of it. Our heightened sensitivity is not a burden but a trait that can help us thrive as individuals and societies.
Identities and Acorns
Watts compares our early formation to an acorn and an oak tree. The whole oak exists within the acorn, but once it has grown, it can never return to that initial seed. For highly sensitive people, our early experiences and identity markers—our family, our upbringing, our demographic details—are like that acorn. They shape us and provide a starting point, but they are not where we ultimately belong.
HSPs often feel the pull to find others like them and seek safety in familiar identities or shared traits. While this can offer comfort, it’s important to remember that we are so much more than these labels. Clinging too tightly to them can limit our potential, reducing us to just one aspect of ourselves. Our sensitivity is not just a label; it’s a dynamic part of who we are, constantly growing and evolving in partnership with our personality.
Moving Beyond Labels as a Route To Belonging
These identity markers—whether it’s being highly sensitive, or other traits we’ve carried—are important, but they are not the whole story. For HSPs, true belonging happens when we move beyond these markers and embrace the fullness of who we are forever becoming. It’s not about finding a perfect place to fit in but about accepting ourselves in the here and now.
Belonging is not about conforming to external expectations. It’s about recognising that we already belong simply by being ourselves. Our sensitivity is not something we need to explain or justify—it simply is.
The egg nurtures us, but it doesn’t help us move. It nourishes us, but we can’t sense what’s outside it. The egg protects us, but we can’t outgrow it. The egg is always a part of our journey to becoming, but it’s not where we belong.
The protective shells or labels we’ve carried—whether it’s our identity as sensitive people or other traits—serve a purpose. They nurture us and help us grow, but they also have limits. Like a rocket booster that gives the shuttle the power to reach its orbiting height, these are necessary elements of the journey, but they reach a tipping point beyond which they become a dead weight that can pull the shuttle back down to earth if not jettisoned.
Belonging occurs when we let go of these shells and embrace the uncertainty of becoming who we might become. For HSPs, this means recognising that our sensitivity is a trait, not a constraint. We don’t need to stay in the protective shell of fitting in or conforming to societal norms. Instead, we are free to grow, feel deeply, see the world clearly, and continue evolving.
Belonging and Freedom
Ultimately, Alan Watts’s message and this exploration of belonging are one of freedom. For highly sensitive people, belonging is not about fitting into predefined boxes or labels. It’s about understanding that we are already deeply connected to the world around us. We belong by simply being who we are and embracing our sensitivity as a natural part of that connection.
As HSPs, we can move beyond the constraints of identity markers and external expectations. We are not limited by where we come from or how the world sees us. Instead, we are free to continue growing, becoming, and belonging to the world in our unique way. We are, and always have been, a vital part of the universe, fully integrated with everything around us.
Over to You
How might recognising that you already belong to the world, just as you are, change how you relate to your sensitivity and hopes for your life?