Last summer I took the Rejection Therapy[1] challenge. For anyone unaware of what that is, it's a game where you're supposed to get rejected by someone in person for 30 days consecutively.
So I'm on a crowded bus, sitting beside a middle age woman with a severe look on her face. I still had to get rejected that day, so I opened up a can of salted cashews that was in my grocery bag and nervously offered her some.
She seemed startled at first and declined (I got my rejection), but then thanked me in a thick German accent.
She said she immigrated from Germany to Canada 11 years ago and did not have any friends here. She also lived at the same house all this time and not once did her neighbors introduce themselves or say hello. She said it was rare that a stranger would be kind to her.
Her intense expression was gone and we chatted for the rest of the ride. I'm glad I got out of my comfort zone and made contact with this random stranger. It made her happy and me happy too.
If you want a way to meet new people, Rejection Therapy is ideal. Many of the rejection cards require interacting with strangers.
Did it change how you feel about interacting with people in general?
This is the first time I've heard of "rejection therapy". It interests me but maybe it approaches the problem in a destructive/negative way (that is, keep doing something uncomfortable until it isn't)? I've learned to deal with rejection by reminding myself that people have their own problems and embarrassing histories; they aren't really that different from me. Thinking about it in a humanistic way like that, instead of a negative/destructive way, lets me get over things immediately.
So I'm on a crowded bus, sitting beside a middle age woman with a severe look on her face. I still had to get rejected that day, so I opened up a can of salted cashews that was in my grocery bag and nervously offered her some.
She seemed startled at first and declined (I got my rejection), but then thanked me in a thick German accent.
She said she immigrated from Germany to Canada 11 years ago and did not have any friends here. She also lived at the same house all this time and not once did her neighbors introduce themselves or say hello. She said it was rare that a stranger would be kind to her.
Her intense expression was gone and we chatted for the rest of the ride. I'm glad I got out of my comfort zone and made contact with this random stranger. It made her happy and me happy too.
If you want a way to meet new people, Rejection Therapy is ideal. Many of the rejection cards require interacting with strangers.
[1] http://rejectiontherapy.com