8 Things That Happen To a Man When a Women Rejects Him

What happens to a man when a woman pulls away from the relationship? Are all those stories of guys mending their broken hearts one barbell curl at a time true? Or do most go the other way and find their answers at the bottom of a bottle? Or, are they really as unbothered as they make themselves out to be? Well, it depends.

It depends on what the man’s personality is like, on the sort of relationship that he had with the woman, on whether she is pulling away emotionally or physically, and on a myriad of other factors.

Here’s our insight into the male mind. Depending on the kind of person he is, this list of things that happens to a man when a woman pulls away can help you pinpoint what’s going through his head when he uploads that disingenuous Instagram story with “the boys”.

# It may knock his confidence

When a man sees the signs she is pulling away, perhaps the first thing that’s going to happen is that he’ll suffer a dent in his self-confidence. Especially if it was a romantic pursuit he was after.

Regardless of how many times his friends may tell him “She pulls away to test you!” or “She’s just looking for something else, it’s not your fault”, it’s still bound to feel bad when a rejection that results in no-contact stares at him in the face.

# He wants the woman a lot more

Contrary to the first point we made, he might just go into denial about being rejected and decide to double down. Despite how many times his friends may tell him to “never chase a girl when she pulls away, it makes you look desperate”, he can’t help but want the woman more. (Notice the trend of men not listening to their friends? No wonder women live longer than men.)

# He may put his guard up around her

Assuming that the woman hasn’t shunned him completely and that the man has just started to see the signs she is pulling away, he may get uncomfortable around her and play it extremely cautiously. No longer will he be cracking jokes all the time hoping to make her laugh, now he’s just going to focus on being respectful and playing it safe so he doesn’t risk losing the woman completely.

# He’ll start over-analyzing his behavior

Continuing on a similar theme as the previous point, he may start carefully examining everything he has said and done, not just around you, but around everyone else. “Why is she pulling away all of a sudden? Should I not have made a joke about her septum piercing? Do I talk too much? Is my perfume too loud?” are just a few of the thoughts he may have inside his mind.

# He may subtly back off

What happens to a man when a woman pulls away? Picture this: the first few dates have passed, the texting is gradually slowing down, the Instagram reels stop being shared, you’re not really making any new plans together, and you don’t see any scope of an emotional connection developing.

# He may curse himself

“Why did she leave?!” “Why does she pull away when we get close?” “Why does everyone leave me!” might be a few thoughts plaguing his mind if his self-esteem reaches a critical low point. Such self-pity and self-blame usually take place when the man doesn’t hold himself in high regard, and the same may be apparent through the sad social media stories he resorts to.

# He may start to dislike the woman

Hate is perhaps the first emotion men will jump to when they believe they’ve been treated unfairly. In cases where the man in question is a particularly bitter one, there’s a very good chance he may come out of the whole thing while thinking some not-so-quotable thoughts.

This often burns any bridges that may have existed and doesn’t really result in a lasting friendship. Depending on the temperament of the guy, it’s also possible that he won’t forgive the woman if she tries to reconcile, and may give her the no-contact treatment instead.

# He might assume she’s angry

To rationalize the events happening around him, it’s possible that the guy might jump to the conclusion that the woman is extremely upset at something he did or said. He might spend a lot of time trying to contemplate exactly where he ‘thinks’ he messed up, and will probably shoot her a “Why are you angry at me?” text.