the senses

Sensitivity

Sensibility , faculty of a living being to perceive external and internal stimuli through the senses. In physiology, it is the function of the nervous system that allows detecting, through the sensory organs, the physical or chemical variations that come from within the individual or from their external environment. Sensibility becomes conscious in the brain as a subjective experience.

The senses inform us of the state of the things that surround us and each one is selective with respect to the kind of information it provides: the eye, the skin and the ear offer temporal and spatial information in its three dimensions; Smell and taste, on the other hand, are chemical senses that provide information about the composition of volatile or soluble matter. Touch is the most widespread and includes: skin sensitivity (sensitivity to pain, pressure or temperature), kinesthesia (sensitivity originated in muscles, joints or tendons, reports on the movement of the body), organic (sensitivity in organs internal) and labyrinthine (the one related to balance).

The numerous modalities of sensitivity are divided into:

• Extereceptive or superficial; collects external sensations.
• Interoceptive; collects those of the internal organs.
• Propioceptive; It informs about the members, attitudes and corporal movements.

The impressions and perceived stimuli can have several dimensions: quality, intensity, extension and duration. During the first three months of life the interoceptive sensitivity prevails in the baby, feeling hungry and thirsty. In humans, it is from the fourth month when the baby begins to distinguish the bodily sensations from those that come from the outside, thus initiating the awareness of their own individuality.

The main function of cellular sensitivity is that it has the ability to perceive stimuli.

The sensitivity may be the natural propensity of the human being to let go of the affections of tenderness and compassion. For example: "The picture of an undernourished child aroused my sensibility and I decided to collaborate", "My husband does not like those films, it seems that he does not have very developed sensibility", "To work in the hospital you have to leave the sensibility of side and not affectively engage with patients. "

Humanity, tenderness or empathy are other elements that are associated with someone being considered with an important level of sensitivity.

That is vital to establish that, throughout history, has inspired many artists and writers as well as musicians. Good example of this is the set of works that take her as a reference and that even make her a protagonist in their titles. Among the best known is the novel "Sense and sensitivity."

It is important to determine that, sometimes, the term sensibility is often confused with sentimentality. The first one 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 makes more reference 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 different nuances: "He is a painter of great sensitivity", "The new film again demonstrates the sensitivity of this filmmaker".

Sensitivity, finally, is the measure of effectiveness of some devices or machines. The concept refers to the ability to detect a quantity or respond to an order: "This is a highly sensitive device, capable of detecting objects that are buried more than one hundred meters away".