Of all the annoying things in this world, ignoring someone should be in the top five because it is hurtful, confusing, and maddening.
All strong adjectives, right? Walk with me through this scenario: you’re in your office and there’s this colleague whose attention you’ve been trying to get but he or she acts like you don’t exist, walks away when you try to draw attention, and looks the other way to avoid catching your eyes.
He or she may even go as far as taking another route to avoid crossing paths with you. What you want to get from him or her is so important and you don’t know what to do.
Well, you picked the right article to read. I present to you reverse psychology when someone ignores you, and before you cringe at the mention of psychology, I promise you it’s as easy as the letters of the alphabet.
In this article, we’ll look at the meaning of reverse psychology, signs you are ignored, and how to apply reverse psychology when someone ignores you.
When you’re done, you’ll be able to flip the ignoring situation and use it to your advantage. Let’s get into it.
First, let’s consider the meaning of reverse psychology.
Reverse psychology is a method where someone is encouraged to do the opposite of what you want them to do. It works because people will naturally want to do the opposite of what they are told to do.
For example, telling your sibling to not charge her phone when the battery is running out will make her wonder why you said so. Before you know it, she is charging the phone (to test), which is what you wanted all along.
To ignore, in this context, means to not listen, not pay attention or pretend not to recognize someone.
SIGNS SOMEONE IS IGNORING YOU
Before you can use reverse psychology when someone ignores you, you have to be super sure you are being ignored. How can you tell you’re being ignored?
SIGN 1: NO RESPONSE
One of the signs that will help you identify if you should use reverse psychology when someone ignores you is if there is a lack of response from the person.
When your friends, loved ones, or family members do not answer your calls or reply to your texts or emails, either refusing to read them or reading them without replying, then you know for sure you are being ignored.
SIGN 2: LACK OF INTEREST IN COMMUNICATION
You should use reverse psychology when someone ignores you because there is a lack of interest in communication. How does this sign manifest? When the person is texting or calling less than before, is distracted every time you are having a conversation, or has less enthusiasm than before. is
SIGN 3: CHANGE OF TONE IN COMMUNICATION
Does the person answer you with ‘yes’, ‘no’,’maybe’’, ‘not your concern’, or ‘forget about it’? When someone you have no prior disagreement with begins to change the mode of communication, either becoming more cold, indifferent, or giving short answers, this is a sign you are being ignored.
SIGN 4: EMOTIONAL DISTANCE
When that one close person you share your secret with is no longer whispering or giggling with you, choosing to confide in another person or colleague even when you’ve tried to draw her or him closer to you, you know for certain you are being ignored. This situation is when you practice reverse psychology when someone ignores you.
SIGN 5: AVOIDANCE
This is a very visible sign someone is ignoring you because avoidance is like a billboard on a very high tower. When the person avoids spending time with you, gives excuses not to hang out with you, or declines your invitations regularly, you are being ignored.
PRACTICING REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY WHEN SOMEONE IGNORES YOU
Now that you know the signs and have confirmed you are being ignored, how can you turn the situation around and make sure you are no longer being ignored?
Before you can use reverse psychology when someone ignores you, you have to first understand the reason for the person’s action. Why are you being ignored? Did you offend them?
Forget the important information you were supposed to remember. Did you betray them? Or is it something that has nothing to do with you?
It is important for you to know why you are being ignored so you can know what decision to make and how to approach it. Here’s how to practice reverse psychology when someone ignores you:.
STEP 1: DON’T BEG FOR ATTENTION
You’ve been begging for attention for a long time and have not been rewarded; why continue with it? Begging will make you look desperate, which is a trait you don’t want to project. It can also make the person move further away from you.
There was this guy who was so loud in the neighborhood that no one wanted to associate with him.
Each time there was a neighborhood meeting or student-faculty meeting, he would always raise his hand, talk without permission, make jokes to people, and start and end the conversation all by himself yet no one would respond to him, and if there was to be a response, it’s usuallykay’, ‘no’, ‘yes’.
He knew everyone was ignoring him but he kept hanging around them and the more he did, the more they were withdrawing from him. This continued until he heard this message I’m bringing to you.
STEP 2: ACT LIKE you’re NOT INTERESTED IN THEM ANYMORE
It has been proven that showing disinterest in a person will make the person curious about you. If you have been calling or texting someone constantly with no response, you should stop.
Reduce your call frequency. Don’t ask why they’ve not been answering you. If you have to send them texts or emails, use a casual or neutral tone that they cannot decipher.
Or if you’ve been trying to get their attention for something and they pretended not to hear you or quickly walked past you, the next time don’t say anything to them. Just keep quiet as they go or avoid them too. They will be surprised and reach out to know why.
When the guy from earlier understood the situation, he decided to apply reverse psychology. He kept quiet at the next neighborhood meetings and the subsequent ones after.
He didn’t raise his hand to ask or answer questions or start conversations with anybody. Neither did he reach out to any of them privately, as before.
He did this for some weeks and everyone became concerned. His neighbors wondered if he was ill or if something bad had happened. They knocked on his door to inquire and he assured them all was well.
Soon people began to talk to him, check up on him and have conversations, which was something he couldn’t achieve in the past two years.
STEP 3: INVEST IN YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH
This is another way you could apply reverse psychology when someone ignores you. It sends the message that you are confident in yourself and focused on making the best of unfavorable situations.
So instead of focusing on the other person, focus on yourself. Invest in yourself, do what makes you happy, and reflect on how you can improve yourself. When this person sees the effort you are making, he or she will seek you out.
This was the case of a lady I knew. She was making a change in career to a different field that had no business with the one she was in.
She tried hanging out with some colleagues in this new place but they all ignored her. Immediately she recognised she was being ignored; she stopped hanging around them and instead began to do all she could to learn about the new career she was into.
She made mistakes but turned the derisive laughter into fun. Some other students soon recognised her efforts and welcomed her into their group, where she was even able to have more access to knowledge the other group couldn’t offer her. Soon, other people began to hang around her because she had something to offer but this time she ignored them.
STEP 4: USE INDIRECT COMMUNICATION
Sometimes you can go through other channels to get the attention of a person instead of doing it directly. We all have that friend or colleague we send on errands to difficult people we cannot face on our own because we know for sure that our friend will be able to get us all the information we require and won’t suffer the discomfort of being ignored.
If you think this method will be best for you, especially if your friend, colleague or loved one is on speaking terms with the person, then go ahead and give it a try.
This way, you can avoid direct confrontation and time delays while still getting what you want.
This reminds me of a time in school when I needed a particular novel to read for a project. Unfortunately, no one in my class had it except for a senior colleague who disliked me. I had to ask around until I found someone who knew the senior colleague and helped me collect the book.
When the senior colleague later found out I was the one who needed the book, she was angry but I had already finished what I wanted to do and had returned it. Problem solved!
STEP 5: CREATE ROOM FOR A CONVERSATION
When the time is right or if you sense a desire from the person to communicate and are interested in keeping him or her in your life, create room for it.
Sometimes pride and ego may keep them from reaching out after they’ve ignored you or maybe the person is ashamed of his or her reaction and doesn’t know how to reach out to you!
If this is the case, stepping forward first to talk to them is a smart thing to do. Talk about your feelings and express your willingness to address any issues you have.
Take the blame if you have to; remember your final goal: to get him/her to stop ignoring you. As good as it is to have a conversation, it is also important that you know when and where to do it. Definitely not in public!
Conclusion
In conclusion, being ignored can be very frustrating but instead of feeling bad about it, you can turn the situation around. By using reverse psychology, when someone ignores you, you can get the attention you deserve.
Remember to first confirm you are being ignored before deciding what step to use.
Also, be patient and monitor their reactions to know if your approach is working. Be careful so you don’t make the situation worse than you intend. I hope this article has answered your questions and given you all the help you need.
