Does rejection therapy actually work?

拒绝疗法真的有效吗?

What in the World

2026-05-05

10 分钟
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单集简介 ...

What if the best way to stop fearing rejection is to seek it out? Rejection therapy - the idea of deliberately putting yourself in situations where you might be rejected - has exploded on social media. From asking strangers for favours to dancing on trains, people are documenting their experiences online. Supporters say it helps people build resilience, reduce anxiety and stop taking rejection personally. But does rejection therapy actually work? Or is it just another viral self‑help trend? In this episode, Claudia Hammond, a psychologist and BBC presenter, helps us unpack where rejection therapy came from, what psychology says about it, and why it’s taken off on platforms like TikTok. We also hear from Sophie Jones, who’s gone viral for her videos on the topic. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Baldeep Chahal, Chelsea Coates and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde
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  • Now, if you're on TikTok, you've probably seen those videos of people doing rejection therapy.

  • The idea is, if you put yourself out there,

  • do things in public, or ask things from strangers where you 're likely to get rejected,

  • you can end up building a tolerance for it.

  • Apparently, this is meant to be good for you, so for this episode, I've decided to try it out.