Tae | A Highly Sensitive Soul, Currently in Progress
If you are looking for a polished expert with impressive achievements in a LinkedIn font, you might be in the wrong place. I am an ISFP who spends way too much time overthinking how I said “hello” to the barista. My only real credential is that I am honestly, deeply, and sometimes painfully “in progress”. My writing isn’t a manual; it is an experiential documentation of modern sensitivity, offering companionship in the confusion for those quietly exhausted by the pressure to be “finished”.
Welcome to The Hearth
I created this space as a sanctuary – a corner of the digital world where it is okay to be “overwhelmed and underachieved”. I want this blog to feel like the old, faded armchair near my window, which feels like the safest place in the universe when the afternoon light hits it. Here, we discuss the things that make our chests feel tight, like the messiness of setting workplace boundaries when you’re hardwired to be a people-pleaser, or the struggle of distinguishing your own feelings from those you’ve absorbed from the room.
Confessions Over Cold Tea
I wrote this while staring at a half-eaten custard cream and a mug of tea that had definitely gone cold. I am a collection of mismatched memories: the smell of rain on hot pavement, the theme tune to Sora no Kiseki, and the constant, low-level hum of anxiety that comes from being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). Growing up closeted in an Asian household taught me to be a very good observer, mostly because I was too busy hiding to actually participate. It left me feeling like a perpetual outsider, struggling to climb the ladder or stop feeling like a nobody in an office chair. If you’ve ever felt like you’re wearing a mask just to get through a trip to the supermarket, I’m right there with you.
Recent Notes
- Some Friendships End the Moment Fake Peace Surfaces
I still think the worst part wasn’t the accusation itself – People misunderstand each other. Apps glitch. I can accept that. What stayed with me was the feeling that my explanation didn’t really matter once the suspicion had settled into place… - Passed Over for Promotion: The Silent Frustration of Being an Overlooked Employee
Does my silence make them see me as just an “insignificant staff” member? When there are only a handful of spots on that promotion list, maybe they just give them to the names and faces they actually chat with… - The Invisible Tax of Being Too Nice: Why the Adult World Might Need an Attitude
I’ve just seen how people treat a “pushover.” They don’t usually think, Wow, what a selfless person. They usually just stop thinking about you entirely…
Within the Journal
Within Human, In Progress, my writing sits alongside two other voices that approach experience differently.
Where Arden focuses on structure and difficult truths, and Cameron reflects through stories and culture, Tae tends to stay closer to emotional experience itself – especially the parts people often hide because they seem too soft, too awkward, or too difficult to explain.
Disclaimer: Human, In Progress is a collaborative essay project exploring modern maturity, culture, and adulthood experience through personal lenses. The insights shared here are creative, philosophical, and experiential reflections – not psychological, financial, or professional advice.