Had 3 rejections this week, feels like I wasted time even asking. How do you refrain thoughts when it happens too often?
I asked 3 women out this week. 1st one was on Monday and someone I run into going to work most days. We commute on the same bus and train and often run into each other at a store near my job. She seemed cool, I wanted to get to know her better at a better place than scattered run ins and bus rides but of course she rejected me.
Another woman was a couple of days ago at a work function and someone I only knew for a few hours. We talked alot in that time, joked during a meeting, talked about videogames and other non-work related things. I don't even remember how we started talking, it just happened and she kept seemingly finding excuses to talk more so I just went for it.
The 3rd woman who turned me down was someone at my gym I've known for awhile and chat occasionally. I was expecting a rejection but just went for it because why not? Told her sorry I bothered her and said nothing again for the of the night, probably going to be the last thing I ever say to her.
These weren't 'bad' rejections per say, just got 'no' when asking to hang out or go on a date. How often do other guys feel dejected after this? I try not to be irrational about rejection but I'm 45 and it's all I ever known, it's hard to not have thoughts of bitterness or feeling like entire interactions were wastes of time.
I've heard the advice to accept rejection gracefully and while I do agree with that in spirit, in the last few years I almost just shut down. I don't care if I made them uncomfortable, end conversations asap and don't want to interact with them ever again.