Online rejection is a subset of social exclusion. People reject others from social engagement for many reasons, and most of those have nothing to do with the person being rejected.

Humans are social and tribal creatures and enjoy being with people, especially those who validate their worldviews. Some people shut out and seek to shut down the expression of any point of view that challenges their own. They don’t want to hear you: willful deafness feels much better.

We are social creatures and all need social acceptance. When someone blocks another online, they are engaging in the act of social veto.

Often the blocker intends to damage or punish the blockee psychologically. The blocker is simply trying to inflict emotional and psychological pain on the blockee.

Why are blocking and other forms of social ostracism so damaging?

Because it attacks universal human needs

• the need to belong, the need to control the situation, self-esteem, and the need to have a sense of a meaningful existence.

Ostracism is used as psychological torture for those not prepared to comply with blockers points of view.

Other motives drive some blockers. Such as ego and arrogance. Both lead to intemperate thinking, which can be expressed as:

• I am right; you are wrong.

• I am good; you are bad.

• It’s my way or no way.

Narcissism, sociopathy, and psychopathy (the toxic triad) can lead people to reject and impose detriment on others socially.

Narcissists are more likely to deny and inflict harm on others who do not dance attention on them or who even dare to question them; lessening others enlarge their self-esteem.

Sociopaths and psychopaths don’t care what harm is forced upon anyone as long as they get what they want.

Even relatively normal people block others to justify their stance; to say: ‘I had to reject X person, that’s how bad they were.’ Takings self-validating actions makes them feel in control.

Well-balanced, well-adjusted people want to know the views and opinions of others; learn and grow from that knowledge. By listening to other opinions, we demonstrate respect, empathy and wisdom.

Blocking someone for non-threat reasons is blocking the development of wisdom.

Perhaps we can all take some time before pressing the block button. Maybe we can ask ourselves: ‘What are my motives here? Why am I shutting down alternative opinions? By blocking a person, we are demonstrating the opposite of wisdom.

The whole blocking thing is a power trip, all about the ego struggles and mind games.