Tom explained exactly what to do: which knob to pull,
which lever to move, and guided her hands every step of the way.
Cindy had no idea what she was doing.“I pulled it out of the stall with his help. My first experience of
being in a small plane was having to pull it out of a stall over
the ocean...” she trailed off.
“What was his reaction?” I asked.
“Oh, he laughed.”
Sensation-seekers like Tom live out particular patterns in
their relationships with others. Their ways of dating, marriage,
love, sex, friendship, conversation, humor, empathy, childrearing,
even self-understanding and self-regulation, all bear the mark of
sensation-seeking. In some cases, sensation-seeking helps people to
deepen their experiences and relationships, and relationships with
low sensation-seekers can help high sensation-seekers stay
grounded and make better judgments about risks. In other cases,
though, high sensation-seeking can detract from their relation-
ships by blinding them to their loved ones’ comfort zones.
By now you know the profile of a high sensation-seeker.
They are on a quest for thrill and experiences but are easily bored
and can be impulsive. It affects every aspect of their lives, from the
way they drive to the music they listen to and how much Sriracha
they squirt on their pizza. So it should come as no surprise that
sensation-seeking also influences personal relationships.
Sensation-seekers are drawn to things they find interesting and
different and that influences the people they choose to be around
and the way they interact with them. Sometimes sensation-seeking
enhances the relationship, and sometimes it creates problems, not
only for the sensation-seeker and their partner, but also for friends
and families who are often along for quite a ride.Interacting Differently
I fly a lot for work. As a low sensation-seeker, it’s nearly impossible
for me to get bored. I find my seat quickly, put away my bags, turn
on my low sensation-seeking secret weapon – a noise-canceling
headset – and I’m in low sensation-seeking bliss. For a high sensa-
tion-seeker, an airplane can be a source of excruciating tedium.
There’s not much to do and you are encouraged to stay in your
seat with your seat belt buckled and tray table in its full upright and94 / Buzz!Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. Access paid by the UCSF Library, on 11 Nov 2019 at 14:21:35, subject to the Cambridge