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Nobody deserves being rejected. First off, the world is cruel enough. And second, there’s a fair share of karma involved in it. If you ever reject someone, the chances are the same thing will come to you as a boomerang when you least expect it. In a parallel reality, everyone would have a reciprocal “It’s a match!”

But being told ‘sorry’ by your love interest is surely much more complex than that. And the best way to take a glimpse into humanity’s hurt souls is to look at what people have to say themselves.

So when Twitter user Eden Dranger posed the question “What was your harshest rejection?” it resonated with many, amassing 4,173 retweets and 67.6K likes.

So let’s get ready for a brutal, yet sometimes funny, other times plain odd, roller coaster ride featuring the stories of rejection as told by the ones who know what they’re saying.

#2

Emberrassing-Rejection-Stories

SueZieCue Report

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Alison
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow 😳 that was a close call. Sorry to hear about the wife though being beat up. Awful to think about what happens behind closed doors

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To find out more about dealing with harsh rejection, Bored Panda reached out to Kate Mansfield, an acclaimed dating and relationship coach based in London, UK. Kate told that the way rejection psychologically affects us vary from person to person. “Rejection can have a profound or a mild effect, depending on the psychological state, the past trauma, and the personality of the person,” she explained.

“At its worst, it can cause extreme feelings of worthlessness and even depression. It can cause the person to withdraw from relationships and to stay alone. Or, to feel not good enough and low self-esteem.”

Meanwhile, people with healthy self-esteem and confidence, are usually mildly affected. This is “because they have a solid sense of self-worth already,” Kate explained.

When asked about the ways to deal with being rejected, Kate suggested working on your self-esteem and understanding that it’s nothing to do with you, and usually, it’s not personal.

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“Try to feel grateful, because the one thing worse than being rejected is to stay in a relationship with someone who doesn't really love you. That is rejection on a daily basis, and causes extreme loneliness.”

#7

Emberrassing-Rejection-Stories

HallJaneh227 Report

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WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Let's just hope that they are able to put him behind bars for his part in the siege of the capitol.

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#8

Emberrassing-Rejection-Stories

clairewillett Report

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Joonscrab
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You just dodged a bullet lolll if he can't handle a person having an extra few pounds, then that's on him.

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#10

Emberrassing-Rejection-Stories

HombreVerde7 Report

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Catherine
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Haha this one made me laugh! Luckily, you were overqualified and clearly meant for bigger things in life

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Whatever people say, rejection hurts. Bottom line. It doesn’t matter which point of a relationship you’re at—being told "I am sorry, but" is something none of us want to hear. Emotional responses by anyone who’s experienced it are confirmed by researchers, and they range from feeling jealous to anxious and lonely.

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But since rejection has a lot to do with self-worth and self-image, oftentimes the pain of it is directly linked to how you validate yourself. Often people look for external and not internal forces to feel validated, which makes them vulnerable to setbacks. What if we simply haven't learned to love ourselves enough?

#11

Emberrassing-Rejection-Stories

TheAddisfaction Report

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Doggo Froggo
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What a horrible b**ch! You are so better off without that pig.

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Jamma
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just another viewpoint to consider: she had self-esteem issues she hadn't worked through and wasn't confident enough yet at that age to date who she really liked and give the finger to social pressure.

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David Retsler
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love is love in every environment. If you think you have to hide it, it isn't love.

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Daria B
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe she was just uncomfortable with public displays of affection?

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If that’s your picture, you must’ve been one good-looking nerd. The cheerleader, one the other hand, may have been pretty on the outside, but she was eaten up with ugly on the inside. Bet the person you’re with now is beautiful, inside and out (beautiful inside makes outside so much more beautiful than just surface “beauty”—-enhanced by being bathed in a beautiful pure light of intrinsic goodness).

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Tina Hugh
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Y'all are making assumptions because she's a cheerleader and he's a nerd. Maybe she just didn't want to kiss in public and has always wondered why he got angry and dumped her.

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Jumilicious
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Guess she didn't love you after all. Dodged a bullet there my friend.

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Curry on...
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

PDA was uncomfortable for me when I was a teenager. I didn't even want my mom to kiss me in public. Some teenagers are insecure like that.

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Dave P
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

IF they are they don't want to be with you in public then they dont get you in private

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Moisturized Elbows
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a thing for nerds since high school but i was no cheerleader lol

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tomruns12
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some people dont like public displays of affection.

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kjorn
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

so many teenagers acted like that. that's no surprise.

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El Dee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If they won't 'admit' your relationship then get out. I let this happen ONCE, never again..

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Melanie Burlock
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What a waste. I hope she looks back on this and realizes what a horrible person she was.

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Alyssa Sweat
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The fact that she cares more about who she's seen with, rather than the person's feelings is not worth being with in the first place.

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catherine todd
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had that happen with a few guys. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

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Thomas Turnbull
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She sounds pretty fair to me, why would you want to embarrass her by kissing her in public.

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JD Lee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As painful as it was at the time I think you can look back now and see what a blessing that was - you could have wasted MORE days of your life on a shallow puddle of cold spit.

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Kris “ADHD_Carrier” Dudoich
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What kind of jerk claims to love someone but only if you're not in public? Dang, that's just cold.

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Suebee70
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh ouch. Been there at least twice. The whole, "duck down while we drive to my house;" "don't talk to me at (high) school, but we can see each other on weekends, at night, in the dark places where no one can see us"... learn to value yourself and don't tolerate this BS. Call it out when you see it and send that guy (or girl) packing. Don't ever be so desperate to be with someone that you put up with this crap.

dc1 avatar
DC
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You don't love anyone but not in public ... that's just not happening - either you love someone and don't give a sheet, or you don't love someone and do give a sheet. End of, no further.

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deanna woods
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You have to be either very rude or very insecure to deny your feelings for someone because you are in public.

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Dre Mosley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've been there. Behind closed doors, very affectionate, but If I even tried to put my arm around her in public she slinked away. Ultimately, had to move on.

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Logic and Reason
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe she’s just very shy and phrased it wrong. Keep in mind, we only hear the Twitter user’s side of the story.

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UncleRussian
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She's a cheerleader, I am not that surprised. She's probably one of those 'popular' girls who care more about their popularity rather than anything else

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Kerless Wispa
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the wise words of Bartmann Turner Overdrive "any loving is good loving so I took what I could get". Dude, even your post expresses your surprise you got to date her, so suck up the hurt and relish the memory of your time with your cheerleader.

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Louise B
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This must have been very hurtful. I'm looking for an upside 🤔....got one! You're a genuine guilty pleasure! Which is the best kind of pleasure. That is a win.

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Christine
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Isn't this the plot of Grease? The nerd should have just completely changed into a football player and everything would have been okay.

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Lu
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You just needed to keep working at it... cultivating that part of her that obviously appreciated you more than meets the eye.

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#14

Emberrassing-Rejection-Stories

linc0lnpark Report

Being rejected by someone you love can really turn even the strongest of us into emotional train wrecks. But in many cases, we tend to idealize both the person and the relationship, as we only remember good times and emotions.

Such behavior is usually unconscious, but it nevertheless doesn’t show the full picture of what you really feel hurt about.

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Interestingly, friendship rejections can often be even more painful than romantic ones. Beverly Flaxington, a life and career coach, says to remember that while a friendship’s end can be painful, it’s also normal for friends to come and go.

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On the other hand, if you still feel like you're missing that person and that friendship in your life, Lexington suggests “reaching out to see if the person wants to get together.” In fact, timing may be crucial as it gives a whole new perspective of the friendship and the people we surround ourselves with.

After some time has passed and if you find yourself missing that person and that friendship, Flaxington suggests reaching out to see if the person wants to get together. Timing is key here. Time can allow people to approach a friendship with a new perspective, she notes

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#21

Emberrassing-Rejection-Stories

MarissaFugate Report

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Sum Guy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sometimes you need people to be tough on you because family and friends might lie to you about how good you are

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#22

Emberrassing-Rejection-Stories

woodra Report

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Dan Buczynski
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow. Well f**k Kavanaugh and f**k your ex husband. I hope you've since found someone who appreciates a bad@$$ like you.

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#25

Emberrassing-Rejection-Stories

pixelexiq1 Report

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Lili
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I really don't understand people who pay for their not-even-spouse's education, house, cars, etc... Like, are you out of your mind?

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According to Lori Gottlieb, M.F.T., psychotherapist, "When somebody rejects us, there's a very primal piece to it, which is that it goes against everything we feel like we need for survival."

But beyond the evolutionary standpoint, our responses to rejection vary greatly as they really depend on the models in which we develop our relationships with people. Those with insecure attachment styles in contrast to secure ones are likely to experience much greater pain from rejection.

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#27

Emberrassing-Rejection-Stories

FistfulOfGrace Report

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Vic
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's not a rejection, that's cheating! He was not your boyfriend, and she definitely was not your best friend.

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#29

Emberrassing-Rejection-Stories

sarahthemoose Report

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Pungent Sauce
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Stripping is sex work, and a lot of guys have difficulty separating the fantasy woman from the actual human being. Not excusing this jackass in any way, but as in most any job it’s best to not date the customers/clientele.

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#30

Emberrassing-Rejection-Stories

Kakegurui_mash Report

Note: this post originally had 90 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.