People Who Get Goosebumps From Music Usually Have These 11 Rare Personality Traits
They're more special than they even realize.
Dean Drobot | Shutterstock Experiencing goosebumps while listening to music — otherwise known as "frisson" — results from a connection between auditory input and our brain's emotional processing center. It’s a reaction to the beauty of art, music, and life experiences around us, even if the more nuanced purposes of this reaction are underresearched and largely unknown.
Connected with the nuanced parts of our brain and emotional responses, people who get goosebumps from music usually have these rare personality traits — stemming from a deep sense of curiosity and emotional depth. So, if you're experiencing this while listening to a new song from your favorite artist or a deeply personal set of lyrics, you may be more rare and special than you give yourself credit for.
People who get goosebumps from music usually have these 11 rare personality traits
1. Openness
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According to a study from Motivation and Emotion, people who regularly experience frisson are more likely to be open to new experiences, whether that means stepping outside of their comfort zone to try a new hobby or connecting with people who aren't in their typical social circle.
People who get goosebumps from music usually have this rare personality trait because they feel things deeply and experience a level of intuition that the average person often lacks. So, when it comes to trying new things and learning from others, their brain is wired to seek out that challenge and depth.
2. Creativity
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Openness is often highly correlated with creativity and the ability to expand creative pursuits into unexpected and uncertain domains. According to a study from Psychology of Music, people who experience frisson often boast this level of openness and enhanced creativity in their everyday lives, largely because of their "cognitive attentiveness" to artistry, interactions, and music.
So, if you regularly get goosebumps from music, you may simply appreciate it more than the average person, but that also means you're more likely to thrive creatively — not always in musical realms, but in a wide variety of activities.
3. Intellectual curiosity
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While the nuances of intellectual curiosity, including where it stems from and what it promotes in adulthood, are complex, it often comes back to a desire to understand things on a deeper level. While it might seem like a stretch, that's a similar experience to feeling goosebumps when you're listening to music — your body trying to cope with, feel, and understand all the parts of artistry that your brain may not immediately recognize.
That's why people who get goosebumps from music usually have this rare personality trait. Their minds are always yearning for a deeper sense of mental stimulation or understanding, even from a song on the radio, and that curiosity often manifests itself in unexpected ways.
4. Deep empathy
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Empathy, the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes, is often rooted in childhood experiences, relationships, and emotional intelligence. However, radical empathy, the experience of going a step further, internalizing other people's feelings, and taking action, is one of the rare personality traits that people who get goosebumps listening to music often have.
They feel the emotions and experiences of the person who's singing or playing a song. They're internalizing the raw emotion behind what they're listening to, even if their subconscious is entirely controlling this obscure bodily reaction.
Even outside of art and music, a person's radical empathy offers opportunities for them to craft deeper connections and understandings with real people in their lives — benefiting everyone, including themselves, in their circles.
5. Sensitivity
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According to a study from Brain and Behavior, highly sensitive people often have more brain activity in the areas of their brain responsible for emotional processing and empathy — the same sections of the brain often associated with goosebumps and frisson.
That's why people who get goosebumps from music usually have this rare personality trait. They're more intuitive to their own emotions and in touch with their deep emotionality, so that even the smallest things, like listening to a song on the radio, evoke strong emotions and physical responses.
6. Intuitiveness
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Intuition is often linked with personality traits like openness, according to a study from Intelligence, which is why it's one of the rare traits people who get goosebumps from music usually have.
They're not only spiritually open to new ideas and learning from others, but they're also intuitive enough to understand and feel things without a conscious thought process. When they're listening to music, their body and certain parts of their brain understand and feel it, even if their mind hasn't unpacked the meaning behind the lyrics or melodic parts.
7. Resilience
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Personality traits like neuroticism and openness often play a role in crafting a person's resilience, according to a study from the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, both of which are often strong in people who deeply feel and understand music.
People who experience frisson often are resilient, using art and music to cope with adversity and to lead them through rough patches in their lives. Even if they don't have the words or framework to cope with strong emotions, they can use tools like music to help them understand themselves.
8. Authenticity
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People who are literally moved by music and other art forms — experiencing frisson or getting goosebumps without a conscious thought — are often also authentic in their everyday lives. They connect with music that is filled with raw and real emotion, telling a story that connects with their own feelings or identity.
They're not only self-expressive and authentic on the outside, but they also often find it easier to express their emotions vulnerably and thoughtfully with people in their lives.
9. Emotional intelligence
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Of course, the openness, vulnerability, and empathy that people who get goosebumps from music tend to have are all a part of their emotional intelligence. They not only connect more thoughtfully with other people and form deep connections with loved ones, but they also have the tools to look out for and grow themselves.
From being able to regulate their emotions in stressful situations to reflecting on their own feelings when they're alone, their deep emotional intuition and understanding often add a great deal of value to their lives — not just when listening to music.
10. Passion
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Passion is a personality trait most commonly associated with a "growth mindset" — the desire to seek out deeper understanding and knowledge, even if that means getting pushed out of a comfort zone. That's why people who get goosebumps from music usually have this rare personality trait, even if their curiosity about the deeper meaning of music is entirely subconscious.
They may be more passionate about creative hobbies, their careers, or even personal growth in their everyday lives, but regardless, it's a symptom of their intellectual curiosity, openness, and emotional intelligence.
11. Attentiveness
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From active listening in conversations to being present with friends, attentiveness is one of the rare personality traits that people with this deep connection to music often boast. They're not only capable of unpacking and understanding music and art on a deeper level, but they also find a way to integrate that presence into their social interactions and relationships.
According to a study from International Psychogeriatrics, it's this wisdom, attentiveness, and responsiveness in their interactions that truly boost relationship satisfaction and ensure the people around them feel truly connected, heard, and appreciated.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
