As a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), introvert and INFP, I have been familiar with the Orchid vs. Dandelion theory of temperament since 2009, when David Dobbs wrote about it for The Atlantic. The basic idea of this theory is that children who are genetically prone to being highly sensitive, like an orchid, are highly sensitive to their environment, and require special nurturing and great care in order to blossom. If they don’t get this special nurturing, they can fail to thrive. Dandelion children are far more hardy by nature – they can thrive in a wide variety of environments.

The above video, however, shows that orchids in nature are very adaptable indeed. And I believe that the intricate, beautiful ways these flowers flourish are just as representative of the way orchid people use their often brilliant imaginations and intelligence to adapt to a vast array of environments and thrive. In western culture, HSPs are often challenged as being weak, and introverts as being too quiet, decidedly to their disadvantage. However, once HSPs and like minded types find their niche, they can really become something very special and beautiful in ingenious ways that are often mysterious to others.