How Do Rejectors Feel?

The inability to tell an undesired suitor that there is no hope is very common, Dr. Baumeister found. "The rejecter usually feels guilty and doesn't know how to say 'No' without hurting the pursuer," he said. "So the most common tactic is to lie low, continue to be nice, and wait, hoping the infatuation will fade.

Why does rejection hurt me so much?

1. Rejection piggybacks on physical pain pathways in the brain. fMRI studies show that the same areas of the brain become activated when we experience rejection as when we experience physical pain. This is why rejection hurts so much (neurologically speaking).

How common is unrequited love?

At some point in life, most people will develop romantic feelings for someone who doesn't feel the same way about them. A study of college students and high school students found unrequited love was 4 times as common as reciprocated, equal love.