The phrase give someone the cold shoulder can be used when someone ignores a person in an unfriendly way. You can also use the verb cold-shoulder. I said hello to him and he just gave me the cold shoulder. She was cold-shouldered by her former friends.
You might be too negative. You might be too high or low energy compared to your friend. You might talk too much about yourself. You might talk about things your friend isn't interested in.
It can cause emotional trauma.
A person who is ignored feels a wide range of confusing emotions. They may feel anger, sadness, frustration, guilt, despair, and loneliness, all at once. Naturally, such emotional confusion can have a damaging effect on your psyche.
Most psychologists indicate that it depends on the situation. When silence, or, rather, the refusal to engage in a conversation, is used as a control tactic to exert power in a relationship, then it becomes "the silent treatment," which is toxic, unhealthy, and abusive.
Intentionally ignoring a person without an explanation is one of the most passive aggressive forms of human behavior there is — it denotes a certain disdain for the person being ignored. It suggests a weakness of character and is a red flag that indicates an unresolved issue on behalf of the “ghoster.”
The silent treatment, or stonewalling, is a passive-aggressive form of manipulation and can be considered emotional abuse. It is a way to control another person by withholding communication, refusing to talk, or ignoring the person.
Is it okay to ignore someone? It's always okay to have a personal boundary but know that you cannot control whether or not someone gets hurt. It's okay to feel bad that you're ignoring someone, as well. Choosing to ignore someone is not an easy decision, but it sometimes needs to be done.
Ignoring is powerful because you take what they desire, away. Lowkey, this ends up turning into a form of revenge without you even trying to do so.
Don't ignore him
It is easy to wonder, should I text him back after he ignored me? Yes, he ignored you, which is hurtful enough. But don't return the favor if you still hope to build something out of the relationship. Playing mind games or ignoring his texts could backfire and ruin your chance of coming together.
It could mean a lot of things when a guy ignores you on purpose. First, it's possible that he's been preoccupied with something else and hasn't had a chance to give you the attention you deserve. On the other hand, when someone ignoring you is very close to you, it might be an intentional action.
If they don't ask for your input in friendly discussions or show any curiosity about what you're thinking, it may mean they're trying to ignore you. They may try to skip over you when asking others about their day, avoid asking you how you feel about a decision, or even ignore you when you share your perspective.
But here's the thing about blatantly ignoring someone: not only is it rude, immature, inconsiderate, cruel, and petty, it's downright emotionally (and sometimes physically) damaging. Ignoring someone is not an act of love. In fact, silent treatment qualifies as abuse.
Narcissists need control, which is often the reason why they ignore people. They do not like to feel vulnerable or exposed and will use their power to forgive someone for maintaining that control. Unfortunately, narcissists also lack empathy, so it can be challenging to understand how their behaviour affects others.
When someone hurts you, or does something which you find offensive or unnerving, be sure to tell them how you feel. By neglecting to confront negative emotionality, you build up a subconscious resentment towards the other person, which inevitably begins to cause strain in the relationship.
Research finds that feeling ignored can affect people's sensory perceptions, such as feeling that surroundings seem quieter. Being ignored creates feelings of self-doubt, feeling a lack of control, and feeling not worthy of attention.
In fact, some therapists call the silent treatment a form of gaslighting, used to cause personal uncertainty, and a sense of doubt when considering goals, self-views and worldviews.