Rejection: What Does It Do To Us?

Even to the most confident human beings in the world, rejection often times stings our fragile hearts. It’s a word that carries a negative connotation and leaves the person feeling as if they have a defect. Rejection hurts greatly: we can feel that sinking feeling in our hearts, our minds and our veins. What have psychological studies concluded about rejection?

According to Psychology Today, these are 5 lesser known facts about rejection:

Results in Personal Criticism

When we experience rejection, we often turn on ourselves and blame our own being. Why didn’t they like me? Was I not handsome enough? Am I not rich enough? Do I not have a good enough job? Was I too quiet? Most romantic rejections are a result of lack of chemistry, which is something that could only be explained through nature. Attacking ourselves only worsens the pain.

Rejection temporarily lowers our IQ

During one experiment, when participants were asked to remember a rejection experience and relive those feelings, their test scores suffered. These tests were IQ tests, tests of short-term memory, and tests on decision making.

Rejection doesn’t respond to reason

Rejection, and almost everything in association with feelings, does not respond well to rational ideas/thoughts/reasons. In an experiment, participants were rejected by strangers and when these strangers revealed themselves to be “actors”, these participants still felt a great deal of rejection and pain. If someone told you that you’re most recent rejection was “staged”, would you no longer feel hurt?

Tylenol reduces the emotional paid rejection causes

In a conducted experiment, participants who took a Tylenol before being asked to remember a rejection proved to experience less emotional pain, than those who didn’t take the painkiller.

Our brains respond to rejection the same as we respond to physical pain

A MRI scan proved that the parts of the brain that are activated when physical pain is experience are also activated during a rejection.

For those of you who experience rejection quite frequently, do you learn how to not let it get to you? What form of rejection do you find that you’re the most sensitive to?

Xoxo,

Chrissy

References:

Barrick, J. (2010). The psychology of rejection. Retrieved from http://www.yourtango.com/experts/dr-james-barrick/psychology-rejection/

Feinerman, J. (2011, December 15). Handling rejection after the job interview. Retrieved from http://schools.wetfeet.com/blog/2011/december/handling-rejection-after-the-job-interview

Winch, G. (2013, July 3). 10 surprising facts about rejection. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201307/10-surprising-facts-about-rejection

Edited by: Zoe