Getting Rejected

Rejection is a part of life. We get rejected from schools, rejected from jobs, rejected from our friends.

Rejection is a part of dating. There is no possible way to dive headfirst into the dating world without bumping your head on rejection.

There are different forms of being rejected, but I would say the main two would be: getting told straight up that it’s not going to work and being ignored. I’m pretty guilty of ignoring people until they get the hint. In my defense, I usually start to make a bunch of excuses and reply slower to text messages. I’ll say “I’m really busy right now” or “I’m not sure if right now is the best time for a relationship.” If the person I’m rejecting continues to make conversation after that, my answers will slowly trickle into nothing. Eventually, they just get ignored.

Telling someone straight up you don’t want to date them is honest, but harsh. It’s harsh for you and probably harsh for them. You need a reason and it has to be one that will let them down gently. In the long run, it’s better for them that you cut them off as soon as you knew. But rejection hurts, it will always hurt.

I feel like men put themselves out there more than women. So they find themselves rejected more often, which might soften the blow. I don’t like to put myself on the line if I don’t think it’s a sure thing someone will like me. Because when I do, I always end up getting burned. It makes me very sorry about all the times I never answered a text. When my texts go unanswered, it sucks.

Mostly because you have alllllll of these questions. I thought the date went well? I thought we were having a good conversation? Couldn’t this be the last first date I ever have to go on? Where did I go wrong?

You’ll probably never know. And that’s okay. Because really – this person wasn’t that awesome if they just started ignoring you. You don’t know them as well as you thought you did so you can’t be head over heels in love with them already. You built something up in your head, and ultimately were let down. But let the rejection make you stronger and wiser. Guard your heart only slightly more and remember not to put new relationships up on a pedestal. You might get rejected. And it might hurt. But it’s not the end of the world, it just seems like it today.