Faux feeling Something done to me
Left out
Not a feeling: a thought about what someone did.
Also known as excluded, marginalised
‘I think others were included and I was passed over.’
Why it’s not a feeling
Left out is a reading of how others chose: they were brought in and you were passed over. The word slips into ‘you left me out’ easily, so it describes an action you attribute to them. Deliberate or not, what comes with it is often sadness, hurt or a lonely ache.
Feelings underneath
Needs
Saying it as a feeling
‘I feel left out.’
When I saw photos of the five of you at the beach and had not heard about the trip, I felt sad and hurt, because I need inclusion and belonging.