Micro-rejections

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about ghosting and how it is acceptable, especially in online dating when you haven't even met that person. I said I try not to think about it too much, but I now acknowledge that I don't always succeed. As a friend pointed out, individual micro-rejections don't mean much but when they accumulate it can be unhealthy. A string of micro-rejections can weigh on your self-esteem or make you question your desirability. (I know everyone is desirable to someone else in this world, but I'm taking about being desirable to some of the people you desire). We all feel undesirable sometimes, and at such times it is perfectly okay to remove yourself from situations where you subject yourself to judgement. Take a breather. You don't have to swear yourself off dating, but just accept that dating is something that cannot be completely casual, especially for a sensitive person. You are a person with feelings and you are dealing with people with feelings, so there is always the scope for hurting others (followed by guilt) or getting hurt yourself. Of course, with experience you learn to handle some situations better but rejecting someone or being rejected is never easy, at least for some people.