by Hannah | Jun 29, 2016 | Heartbreak
There is no denying that rejection hurts, but why is it that it brings up feelings of anger? Feeling loved and accepted is a primary human need and when you feel rejected you are being denied just that. When you are rejected, it can cause the same feeling as physical pain. This is because rejection activates the same areas of the brain as physical pain. Physical pain has been seen to provoke an anger response, for example, rats that were given an electric shock have gone on to randomly attack other rats. When people feel devalued or rejected it is natural to become angry as you feel that the other person is not taking your wants and needs seriously. By being ignored or excluded, the message portrayed is that you’re not worth another person’s time. This feeling is disheartening, especially if you are emotionally invested in the other individual. If you feel that the other person is not giving you as much affection as you would like, despite the fact that you appreciate that you are valued and accepted by the other person, you may feel rejected. The amount of pain felt is based on how much value you give your relationship. However, other than relational value, there are apparent individual differences in anger and one factor that may influence aggression is the fact that some people are simply more sensitive to rejection. Several experimental studies have looked into this apparent connection between anger and rejection. The experimenters manipulate the participants into believing that the other participants had rejected them or making...
