People tend to want to avoid you when they are being dishonest or are embarrassed to talk to you. Maybe they went behind your back and did something wrong and are now feeling guilty and want to hide it from you hoping it blows over with time and you do not notice it.
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.
One of the most common reasons someone may ignore you is because they need space. They could be going through a tough time or need time to themselves. Therefore, respecting their boundaries and giving them the space they need is essential.
Many people avoid others from whom they receive attention or compliments beyond friendly conversation because they are already in a romantic relationship. Others, however, are simply not interested in having one. Many people are perfectly content with their lives, family, and friends, without wanting more—from anyone.
It's fine to ask for time to reflect on an argument or to tell someone who deeply hurt you that you no longer wish to speak to them. But ignoring a person to punish them or make them fearful is a manipulative tactic.
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.
I have found that the true power of ignoring someone who hurts or bothers you is that it sets you free from them, enabling you to pursue your own happiness. Freedom comes when you learn to let go. creation comes when you learn to say no. It all depends upon what type of situation exists.
Ignoring someone is not an act of love. In fact, silent treatment qualifies as abuse. The silent treatment sabotages you and your relationships by causing emotional trauma or stress, causing psychological stress, serious physical side effects, behavioral changes, and finally it can destroy relationships.
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. It can decrease your sense of self-worth.
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.
Narcissists don't react well to being ignored and often try to punish the person ignoring them. Ignoring a narcissist may result in them trying to get your attention through various means, including apologizing and begging for forgiveness or smearing you to others.
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.
If someone displays unmanageable emotions and easily flies off the handle, this is a serious red flag. Responding with uncontrollable rage or the "silent treatment" could point to abusive (physical or emotional) behavior in the future, says Trombetti.
The silent treatment might be employed by passive personality types to avoid conflict and confrontation, while strong personality types use it to punish or control. Some people may not even consciously choose it at all.
Silence and non-responsiveness are not only passive aggressive forms of manipulation and attention seeking; they can also be used as tools to promote changes in behavior.
Research has found that people who received the silent treatment experienced a threat to their needs of belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence. This type of behavior reinforces the feeling that someone we care about wants nothing to do with us. It can feel as though you don't exist.
Try not to overreact
Yes, being ignored hurts, but remember that the individual ignoring you may be trying to achieve exactly that. Don't give them the satisfaction.
Ignoring is usually most effective for behaviors like whining, crying when nothing is physically wrong or hurting, and tantrums. These misbehaviors are often done for attention.
Summary. Ghosting is a form of emotional abuse, using the silent treatment to end communication without warning or justification. Mental health professionals have described it as emotional cruelty, leaving the ghostee feeling powerless and silenced. 1 2 It is often done out of fear or to avoid confrontation.
Though some people may not realize the damage their behavior is causing, if they aren't willing to hear your requests for change and attempt to make these changes, end the relationship before it goes any further. Remember that gaslighters have fragile egos, little self-esteem, and are inherently weak.