Social rejection

Social rejection is when a group of people decide to reject one or more persons from involvement in their group. Sometimes in psychology known as "us vs. them." It is a common fear that can lead to an anxiety disorder known as social phobia if not kept under control.

Social rejection can be felt in many different ways. Sometimes people outright reject someone outloud by telling them they are not wanted. Sometimes, there is a potentially more hurtful ostracization that goes on. This is when the rejected is left out high and dry without any signals other than a lack of interest.

Rejection is difficult to accept as humans. We are a social species that need one another to survive. So if rejection is particularly troubling, it may be because it's an innate evolutionary need that our distant ancestors passed onto us present day humans.

Individuals differ widely in their level of rejection sensitivity. For those who have a high level of rejection sensitivity, an ambivalent social interaction will appear to be rejection to the person with high SR Quotient.

Social rejection is often the worst in middle school and high school, when social pressures reach a sort of peak and the formation of identity isn't yet solidified. For an example of high school social rejection, see the movie Mean Girls.