Faux feeling Something done to me
Rejected
Not a feeling: a thought about what someone did.
‘I think you have turned me away.’
Why it’s not a feeling
Rejected tells of something done: a door closed, an offer refused, a person turned away. The word describes the other person’s choice as you read it, and that choice may have had little to do with you. What is left inside is closer to hurt, sadness or loneliness.
Feelings underneath
Needs
When these needs aren’t met
Saying it as a feeling
‘I feel rejected.’
When I asked to join the five-a-side team and you said the squad was full, I felt hurt and lonely, because I need belonging and acceptance.