Are you ignoring a man for quite some time and wondering how he must be feeling? Does he admire you or is he going far?
Well, whether he will chase you or not will depend on his personality type and various other factors, such as how well you know each other. Do you keep repeating the behavior, or is it the first time? And more.
However, one thing is obvious: he will be on an emotional roller coaster. A study published in Science Direct suggests that ignoring is a powerful tool that can have a negative impact on people.
Basically, ignoring someone is a concept of social psychology that suggests three stages the ignored person goes through. Let’s consider it for our topic, “Ignoring a man psychology”.
The first stage is detection, where he will learn about your particular behavior, which will surely make him wonder why you are ignoring him. As a natural reaction, he may be curious to know the reason, but it’s purely subjective and depends on the personality of the person.
For example – Extroverts will not hesitate to show how they feel, but for introverts, it’s difficult to express. Despite feeling annoyed, introverts may never show you their feelings and start going far.
The second stage is where the emotional roller coaster starts taking off. Where the man will experience pain as his four fundamental needs are violated: belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence.
Belonging: As social animals, men also have a need for belongingness. When this core need is violated, they feel lonely and isolated.
Self-esteem: They might feel worthless and unlovable. Based on the emotion handling capacity of the man you’re ignoring, the intensity can be low or high.
Control: He will have this feeling like he has no control over this situation and he is at your mercy. Like a feeling of helplessness.
Meaningful existence: Although it’s a broader concept but for understanding the topic of Ignoring a man psychology, we can say that he will feel unimportant.
The third stage is recovery, in which all these emotions start fading away. It’s pretty obvious that negative thoughts of a healthy person will not stay in consciousness for a long time. As Freud suggests, these thoughts will be suppressed in the unconscious mind.
If somehow these thoughts are not suppressed, then in rare cases, they may lead to resignation, alienation, helplessness, and depression.
Being ignored hurts, even by a stranger.
Another study published in Science Daily included some psychologists who conducted a study on the road to understand how people feel when strangers ignore them.
The results revealed that even a brief interaction with a stranger, like making eye contact, can make you feel more connected to others. Conversely, being ignored by a stranger, even for a short time, can make you feel isolated and disconnected.
Imagine you feel bad even when a stranger ignores you; think about the psychological effects of being ignored by someone you love. The man will surely experience strong negative emotions.
Additional factors that influence the psychology of ignoring a man
When it comes to human behavior nothing is black and white. There’s always a level of intensity that deviates from person to person and situation to situation. Likewise, all men will not have the same emotions when ignored. Several factors will influence ignoring a man psychology, including:
1. How well do you know him?
If you are ignoring someone whom you met recently, he won’t go through much and might be more likely to brush it off to continue his routine. However, if you start ignoring someone you cared about before, it might be a devastating experience for him.
2. Have you done it before?
When you form a pattern in expressing your emotions, it gets more accessible for the other person to predict based on past experiences. So, the intensity of feelings will definitely be lower than they were the first time. But if you manage to do something new this time, the results will be different.
3. The reason why you are ignoring him?
Are you genuinely busy? Are you mad at him? Do you feel differently than before? Knowing the reason why you are ignoring them brings major changes in their feelings.
Psychological effects on your mental health
Although ignoring someone may feel tempting in the movement but this act can also have some psychological effects on you. Along with ignoring a man psychology, it’s also equally important to understand its repercussions on your health. In the long term, you might feel:
1. Guilt and regret
If you value the person and your relationship, then ignoring him will cause you to feel regret. You will worry about hurting their feelings and damaging the connection.
2. Anxiety
Anxiety is stress caused by thinking about the future. Silence can become a source of uneasiness. You may wonder if things will escalate or if this will turn into a bigger problem.
3. Rumination
It’s when you keep replaying the conversations in your head. You somehow try to convince yourself and justify that what you did was right. This continued repetition of voices in your head can mentally drain you and cause more harm than good.
4. Emotional distance
Ignoring someone indeed creates a physical difference that can be resolved. However, what can never be wholly resolved is the emotional distance. Once you go on the path of intentionally making someone feel bad, your relationship will never stay the same as before. It definitely gets challenging to reconnect later, and it will surely hurt your feelings as well.
5. Loss of control
When you ignore someone, you have a purpose behind doing so. You expect them to show a behavior either to chase you or go far from you. However, when the results are not according to the plan, it will leave you with a feeling of frustration and loss of control.
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Conclusion
So whenever you search for ignoring a person psychology, remember that every action has an opposite reaction. The man will surely be on an emotional roller coaster, but you will have negative emotions as well.
That’s why, instead of playing small mind games it’s always good to address the situation more constructively. Although, open communication may feel complicated, it can be healthier for both of you in the long run.
I hope you learned some important aspects of ignoring a man psychology and its repercussions on your mental health. Below are some FAQs that explore other factors related to this topic.
FAQs
1. How long should you ignore a guy?
There’s no magic number and it depends on the situation. Ignoring for a day or two is still fine but longer than that might send the wrong message or seem petty.
2. Psychology of ignoring a man over text??
Silence in a text affects people differently because you cannot feel the other person’s emotions. It creates a sense of mystery that can lead to confusion or frustration.
3. What is the psychology behind the silent treatment??
It’s just a fancy word for Ignoring a man psychology. Basically, it is a form of emotional withdrawal used to gain power or control. It is not a healthy communication tactic.
4. Does ignoring a guy work??
Studies suggest that ignoring someone hurts them more than a heated argument. Sometimes, ignoring might work to get his attention, but it can also backfire.
5. How does a man feel when you ignore him??
He will definitely feel confused and worried because his four fundamental needs are violated, including belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence. It won’t necessarily make him fall in love with you.
6. Do men fall in love when you ignore them?
Men are simple; they don’t like drama and definitely not being ignored. However, factors such as age, emotional maturity also matter. True love stems from open communication, and in most cases, it won’t work.
7. Is it okay ignoring a guy who takes you for granted?
Absolutely! It’s okay to distance yourself from someone who doesn’t value you. But it would be better if you explain them before doing so.