Preface to the Korean Edition - Dear Korean Readers
Opening Remarks - People So Special They're a Little Bit Different

Part 1: Why is that so?: Why you think so much

Chapter 1 Because of my more sensitive senses than others
Sensitive innate five senses｜Sensory antennae that are on edge｜Feeling that sense with this sense｜Extraordinary likes or extreme aversions｜When you know it, it turns out to be a special ability, hypersensitivity
Chapter 2 Because of the overflowing emotions
Excessively Rich Sensitivity｜Living for Love, Dying for Love｜Your Heart is My Heart｜Things Only I Can See
Chapter 3 Because of the brain that keeps turning without rest
What's the difference between the left and right brains? | What happens inside our heads? | The many forms of mental overactivity | Does a brain overflowing with thoughts have anything to do with IQ?

Part 2 People in the world are divided into two groups: those who think a lot vs. those who don't.
everyman

Chapter 4 They Don't Understand You
Lost Self-Esteem | The Instinctive Fear of Rejection | If Only I Were No Different | The True Self Driven Out by the False Self
Chapter 5 You Don't Understand Them Too
Is what I want so great?｜Idealism Becomes a Reality of Strangeness
Chapter 6: Living Together Even Though We Don't Understand
The one who makes you suffer, the psychological manipulator | A mind that is definitely better than the average person | What do average people think? | Living among average people | An eye for recognizing those who are beneficial to you | There is no way to suppress the overflowing love | It is your role to become their standard.

Part 3 Survival Strategies for Overthinkers: From 'Unusual' to 'Special'

Chapter 7: The Ugly Duckling Who Turned Out to Be a Swan
A Relief Heart | 5-Stage Emotional Roller Coaster | Take Control of Your Thoughts
Chapter 8: Let's organize the warehouse of random thoughts that have piled up.
From a Messy Warehouse to a Wonderful Study｜Even Thoughts Have a Level
Chapter 9: Reviving Your Dead Self-Esteem
How to Save Them | Check How Much They've Recovered
Chapter 10: What to Do to Keep Your Brain Running
Light overwork is actually good for you｜Five things your brain wants
Chapter 11: If You Live Well with Me, You Can Live Well with Everyone
Solitude is optional | How to deal with criticism | How to face your wounds head-on | What you need is respect, not love | A life that blossoms only when you find your partner

Closing remarks - You are awesome enough!
References
Reader's Comments

The very book that highly sensitive people read over and over again like the 'Bible'!

“I wasn’t crazy.
It wasn't something I did wrong.
“I was so grateful for the book that spoke like that.”

My head is full of thoughts, why on earth is that?

Do you think anyone suffers or is unhappy because they're smarter than others? In fact, quite a few people do.
At first, they don't admit that they are smart.
However, they say that their minds do not allow them to breathe, and that they cannot put down their many thoughts even at night.
They say they are sick of the doubts, the questions, the sharp reactions to everything, the sense that even the smallest thing cannot be overlooked.

As soon as Nelly arrived at the dinner party, she thought the music in the restaurant was too loud.
I could hear the commotion in the restaurant, the conversations of the customers next to me, and the clanking of dishes as the waiters came and went made me feel dizzy.
I sensed the smell of food, the movement of customers coming and going, and the intense lighting.
_Pages 55-56 of the text

Mentally hyperactive people, thanks to their sensitive senses, unconsciously acquire a lot of information anytime, anywhere.
That's why I quickly shed tears when I'm sad, easily shrink in stressful situations, and get angry when I see injustice.
We also instinctively sense and feel hurt by the other person's criticism, rebuke, ridicule, or ulterior motives.
Another reason they are so thoughtful and sensitive is that they are 'right-brained people', meaning that their right brain exerts a more dominant influence than their left brain.
Because the left and right brains function differently, a person's way of thinking and personality differ depending on the level of development of each brain.
Moreover, according to the author, right-brained people, whose right brain is dominant, account for about 15 to 30 percent of the total population, while the rest are left-brained.

Because the left brain is analytical, it breaks down the whole and processes its components one by one, step by step.
The left brain is also known as the brain of symbols, abstractions, reason, and logic.
The left brain's work is sequential and follows a chronological order.
(…) The right brain values ​​sensory information, intuition, and instinct.
It takes a comprehensive look at the situation and reconstructs the whole, even if it starts from a very small element.
The right brain often knows something but cannot explain how it knows it.
Because the right brain's thoughts branch out in many directions like a tree's branches, it discovers many solutions.
The emotional and irrational right brain sees itself as belonging to humanity and, by extension, the entire living world.
_Pages 86-87 of the text

Thinkers vs.
What makes an ordinary person different?

What makes a person with a lot of thoughts different from an ordinary person? What does it mean to live among ordinary people? How can we distinguish between those who benefit from and those who detrimentally harm the mentally hyperactive person with an unusually high number of thoughts?

In everyday life, people with mental hyperactivity often feel misunderstood by others and feel as if they are constantly playing out of touch with their surroundings because of their sensitive perception and thinking.
Moreover, these experiences begin at a very young age.

Eight-year-old Leah makes a friend at the playground.
The two children ran around and played until they were out of breath.
Leah took a moment to catch her breath and felt her pulse.
“Wow! My heart is beating so fast!”
My new friend at the playground was wide-eyed.
"What, you! Your heart is in your arm? It's right here!"
My friend pointed to the area above his belly button.
Leah thought her friend thought she was a fool.
Leah was upset, but she didn't have the confidence to explain it in a way her friend would understand.
_Main text, pages 139-140

They also have absolute, specific, and high standards for what justice, honesty, loyalty, friendship, and love should be.
But the desire to share these values ​​with everyone often leads to frustration.
Nevertheless, these are not things that can be glossed over.

A housewife who came for counseling was scolded and slapped by her husband for not folding the table napkin properly, but she always diligently cleaned and did the laundry and did not neglect to help her husband.
When asked why, she said:
“It’s not that I don’t get angry because I like that person.
It's for myself, after all.
I want to preserve the image of a family that I envision as desirable.
“I don’t want to sink to the same level as my husband by taking lethal revenge.”

Also, because they are more intelligent than others, they are not understood by others and end up lonely.
Moreover, because they tend to be quick to judge and critical, they may appear to others as 'always negative people'.
So, I often hear things like, “That’s just your opinion, why are you so afraid for no reason?”, “You put too much thought into everything”, or “You’re so sensitive about nothing.” from people around me.
In situations like this, when you meet a 'psychomanipulator' who tries to manipulate and use other people's minds, you fall for his tricks and think that you have found someone who accepts you as you are.
Even though their relationship gradually deteriorates due to their malicious intentions, they try to understand him unconditionally, even blaming themselves.
Because I am a multi-faceted person, I think about all kinds of situations and mull them over endlessly.
Because he is extremely afraid of conflict, he always gives in when he feels the atmosphere is becoming tense.
I am a person who feels guilty easily, so I blame myself and suffer whenever things go wrong.

The strategy of the overthinking: From 'odd' to 'special'

People with mental hyperactivity often suffer from frustration beyond suffering due to their unusually sensitive senses, jumbled thoughts, low self-esteem, susceptibility to criticism, and the potential for depression at any time.
This suffering and frustration ultimately comes from trying to be like others and shaking off our true selves.
The author advises them to 'accept themselves as they are' and offers the best solution for those with mental hyperactivity.

▶ Are you tired of countless thoughts that keep going on and on?

The mind of a hyperactive person, plagued by endless thoughts, is actually a super brain! This expansive, multifaceted thinking is particularly effective when finding solutions.
Because you can explore multiple directions at the same time.
These thoughts occur naturally and unconsciously, and they happen so quickly that it seems like the answer comes to you without thinking.

Whenever Christine was looking for a new home, she just looked at it and picked the one she liked.
She would later be surprised to discover how well the house she had chosen fit her desired criteria.
There was nothing to regret.
It had all the rooms she needed, ample storage, perfect lighting, and amenities.
It was close to shops and the children's school, and public transportation was convenient.

After understanding how her brain works, she realized to herself, 'I was quick to take those aspects into account.'
Because such considerations came automatically and quickly, I thought I'd just chosen the perfect house, but in fact, I'd thought through every aspect carefully! _Page 94

▶Are you suffering from not being understood by the world?

A mentally hyperactive person is like a young swan among ducklings.
A young swan in a flock of ducks reproaches himself, saying, “Why is my neck so long and my body so big? Why can’t I quack?”
The swan deliberately bends its neck, tucks its wings, and closes its mouth in a corner to match the ducks.
Even if you do that, it's still the same, you'll just end up looking like an ugly duckling.

You feel frustrated that you've done so much more than others in a day, yet you feel like you haven't accomplished anything.
To you, just looking at the daily lives of ordinary people is frustrating.
Because it's incredibly slow and doesn't seem to have any substance.
Of course, you are often criticized for doing things you don't need to do or for not keeping to the proper line.
Don't be so sensitive to such accusations any longer.
Well, people should live at their own pace, so don't worry too much about what other people say.
_Page 279

▶Can you live well in a way that is different from others?

People with hyperactive minds, born with exceptional senses, emotions, and brains, can navigate this world in a unique way! An exceptionally active brain is like a "poisoned gift."
Even if it's poisonous, a gift is still a gift.
Once you acknowledge and accept this, you can live happily.

Frederick was known to his friends as 'Frankie'.
At gatherings with friends, Frankie was a hit.
Everyone laughed to death because Frankie kept the atmosphere lively and showed off one hilarious joke after another.
But as time went by, Frankie became afraid of such places.
But I couldn't refuse the invitation because people were making a fuss saying it wouldn't be fun if Frankie wasn't there.
Frankie would binge drink at gatherings and then feel depressed for no reason the next day.
The exciting and noisy social gatherings felt like a place where my alter ego ran wild.
(...) Frederick became increasingly anxious.
One day, Frederick put Frankie's clothes deep in the closet.
He decided to live his life as himself and make new friends if necessary.
Only then did I feel relieved.
_Pages 155-156 of the text

The trait of being exceptionally sensitive and thoughtful can become a unique ability in the world, depending on how you accept, control, and utilize it.
Humans are perfect in their imperfect state, whether they excel or fall short.
As the author says, a person with mental overactivity may live a somewhat tired and lonely life because of their overflowing mind, but if they understand and accept their own characteristics, they can live as a 'special person' rather than a 'peculiar person' with an extraordinary sense and mind.