If you are at the movies and someone is crying behind you, it might be me. When it comes to movies, I am a highly sensitive person. I cried during the capture of the horse in Warhorse, Lone Survivor deeply affected me, Braveheart, The Patriot…and especially, The Passion, led me to tears and deep emotions.

I’m not alone! If you cry easily and feel deeply, you might be one of about 20% of people who are considered to be highly sensitive. Not everyone who cries during movies is highly sensitive. But if you are a man or woman who feels deeply when negative and positive emotions are presented, you could be! Sensitivity is a personality trait and can be a good thing as long as you don’t allow emotions to overwhelm you.

The down side is because you can become easily overwhelmed by your emotions, you have to learn to handle intense feelings. A good strategy is to distract yourself with something completely off the topic for a few moments. Count to 10 in Spanish, or name four cities that begin with A, and you will engage a part of your brain that counters the deep emotional feeling. Or take a time-out when emotions overwhelm you so that you can calm down and think better.

The up side is to embrace your deep feelings, as you are probably empathetic and can read the cues of others better than most people. Use that emotional intelligence to pick up on the feeling of others when working in teams. And use your deep feelings to love and care for others.

So go ahead and cry at movies! Don’t be afraid to admit you are highly sensitive. The world is a better place with people like you.