The Power of Nice

Tue, April 12, 2011 - 11:51:47

Rejection Hurts

Love hurts/ love scars/ love wounds/ and mars.

They may be the lyrics to a classic power ballad, but it turns out that the above statement is also a scientifically proven fact, at least when it comes to being rejected.

According to a study published recently in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the human brain processes the pain of rejection in exactly the same way it processes physical pain.

Although the study focused solely on individuals who had recently been on the receiving end of a romantic rejection, it serves as a powerful reminder of how painful any rejection can be, even in the business world, where “It’s nothing personal, it’s just business,” has become a common refrain.

Whether it’s a big rejection, like the denial of a job application, or a smaller one, such as the selection of one idea over another, they can be hurtful to the individuals who are on the receiving end—and that’s why it’s essential to handle those situations with care.

But, it’s not about sugarcoating the issue or failing to say “no” when necessary. It’s about harnessing the power of empathy to strengthen your relationships and plant positive seeds wherever you go. After all, as we write in the POWER OF NICE: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness, “you never know.” By handling rejection—a situation rife with the potential for hurt feelings—kindly, you leave the door open for future opportunities. Not only do you show the other person that their feelings matter to you, you represent yourself as someone who is genuine, mature, and able to handle even the stickiest of situations with grace, which can leave a lasting impression.

And that’s the POWER OF NICE.

Posted by Linda and Robin