How Does A Man Feel When A Woman Walks Away: 12 Things To Know

Man Feeling Sad As Woman Walks Away

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How does a man feel when a woman walks away? If you have left your partner, you may want to know if he is depressed, trying to move on, or has already moved on. It’s natural to wonder how he is coping with the situation if you care about him.

When you were encountering differences and could not find a mutual path, then a mutual breakup wouldn’t be so hard to cope with. But if the breakup was unexpected or one-sided, it becomes difficult for the man to get over the phase and he may feel forsaken. Let’s go through some scenarios to understand how your man could be feeling after you left him.

In This Article

Key Pointers

  • A sudden breakup with no closure may confuse and irritate the man.
  • The man may attempt to win you back out of possessiveness or he may have already moved on.
  • Sometimes the man may feel lonely and miss you or exhibit conflicting behavior.
  • Alternatively, the man may experience depression, guilt, or fear when beginning a new relationship.

How Does A Man Feel When A Woman Walks Away?

1. He might be confused

He might be confused when a woman walks away

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Breaking up with your man abruptly without any closure could puzzle him. Even if your reasons to break up are convincing, he may be confused and frustrated to understand why there isn’t any chance to mend things.

protip_icon Did you know?
Many men go through the emotions of grief after a breakup — denial, desperate need for answers, fear, loneliness, sadness, anger, acceptance, and forgiveness.

2. He might get possessive

If you have walked away from your man for another person, then there are chances that he might get possessive and insecure.

It happens when he loves you, and you have had a functional relationship. Seeing you moving on with another person before he could get back on his feet might make him spiral.

3. He might try to get you back

He tries to get you back when you walk away

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When you start slipping from his hand, he may try harder to hold you. Some men like to chase and win over their girl. You may find him trying different ways to impress you and earn your trust again. For instance, if he wasn’t financially well, he would work harder to get a good job. If he loves you, he will do anything and fight to have you back in his life.

protip_icon Point to consider
Self-doubt is one of the common emotions many men go through when a woman leaves them. As a result, they may question their actions, intentions, and the way they treated you.

4. He may admire you even more

Some men realize the importance of their lady love only when they move away from them. Your man may understand your worth only after you broke up with him. He will figure out that you are an independent woman who doesn’t wait for anyone, for which he will admire you a lot. They may also idolize you or your relationship in ways that may not make sense. This can make it hard for them to move on and find another partner because they believe you were “soulmates.”

5. He may feel lonely

He may feel lonely when a woman walks away

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It’s natural for him to miss you and those romantic moments spent with you. But while missing you, he could contemplate and realize many things—he might realize his mistakes, ponder over what went wrong, or do nothing but miss your presence. He might also want to live alone for some time until he finds himself alright.

6. He may send you mixed signals

Sometimes, a man doesn’t understand what to do after a breakup. He will be trying to move on but is still stuck with your memories, feeling desolate and abandoned. He might want to get you back or forget your thoughts. That’s when he may send you mixed signals—sending you ‘miss you’ text, blocking your contact number, sending all your gifts back, or drunk dialing you.

7. He may be scared getting into a new relationship

He may have self-doubts while romancing again

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A person who loves you finds it difficult to connect with someone else, even after your breakup. He may be scared of getting attached to someone and then breaking up. He might be afraid of finding himself in the same spot where you left him.

8. He might be missing you

Your man might not have realized what it was being with you until you left him. He could be missing the happiness and playfulness in life that he cannot experience with his friends or family. He must have taken you for granted but now understood that he depended on you. After the breakup, he might realize that he needs you.

9. He might be depressed

When your man finds that he is replaceable or has been replaced, he may feel rejected and isolated. One of the biggest signs he is hurting after the breakup is if he starts to believe that other men are stronger or better than him. It might make him feel inferior. Such thoughts could be ruining his peace, putting him in depression.

An anonymous blogger shares the pain he has been through following the breakup with his girlfriend. He says, “I’m not going to fake anything. It hurts a lot when you envision building a life with someone and it doesn’t happen (i).”

10. He might feel guilty

You left him because he didn’t seem serious about your relationship. He even didn’t express his interest in getting married. Also, you sensed zero efforts from his side to maintain the relationship. He realized all of it only after you broke up. Now, he may be ready to accept his faults and might want to change himself to be with you.

11. He may play smart

He may play smart when she walks away

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If your man had a narcissistic personality, he wouldn’t show his true feelings. He could act smart and express he wasn’t interested in you, or the breakup didn’t matter much to him. It is a sign of not accepting the situation completely.

12. He could have moved on

If there was no love from his side or you both wanted to part away, he could move on easily. He may either be happy being single or have found a new partner. Either way, he has reflected on the lessons he learned from the relationship and is focussing on his personal growth. It shows he accepted the situation and is content with his present.

A youtuber from Lithuania realized he needed to focus on himself and move on after being dumped by his ex-girlfriend. He says, “Anyways, after she left me, I knew that I had to change as I was in a bad place emotionally and had an existential crisis. So I decided to get into self-improvement (ii).”

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why would someone walk away from someone they love?

There are multiple reasons why someone may feel the need to walk away. Some may no longer feel cared for or respected, they may find their partner not concerned about any future with them, while some could be constantly criticized or abused, their opinions no longer matter. In some cases, when the partner is attracted to someone else, they prefer to walk away.

2. Does walking away from a relationship work?

Certain hiccups in a relationship are normal, and you need not walk away instantly. Instead, you can give and take space, miss each other, and identify your true feelings. Instead, you can give and take space, miss each other, and identify your true feelings. However, if your relationship has taken serious turns, and you see no light at the end of the tunnel, knowing when to walk away from the relationship could save you from a toxic future.

3. How does the length of the relationship affect a man’s reaction to a woman walking away?

If a man has been in a long-term relationship, he may have invested significant time, energy, and emotions into it. In such cases, the woman walking away can lead to heightened feelings of grief. However, individual emotional responses and coping mechanisms may vary regardless of gender.

4. Is it common for a man to try to win a woman back after she walks away?

It is common for a man to try to win a woman back after she walks away in certain circumstances. When a man has genuine feelings for a woman, and she walks away due to unresolved issues or conflicts, he might attempt all possible methods to reconcile with her.

5. How might a man’s age or life stage affect his reaction to a woman walking away?

Although individual differences and circumstances play a significant role, younger men may have less life experience and emotional maturity. They might be more prone to intense emotional reactions compared to middle-aged and older men, who tend to respond more maturely.

6. How can understanding a man’s feelings after a woman walks away help in future relationships?

Understanding how a man feels after a woman walks away from their relationship is important for both because it helps to navigate post-breakup feelings. It can also help them recognize patterns of behavior and avoid making similar mistakes in future relationships, which would ultimately help them build healthier relationships.

Walking away from a man could be for various reasons, which can be favorable or unfavorable. The reactions and emotions vary based on the relationship and the reason for its end. If you felt insecure or unhappy being with him, then your decision to break up was right. So, move on for a better future. Though it could be difficult for you to forget those moments, it is wise to leave them behind.

Infographic: What To Do If There Is Hope For Reconciliation?

If you have walked away and he does not show signs of returning, move on. However, if you see a glimmer of hope and want to give things a second chance from the bottom of your heart, you may think of ways of reconciling and patch-up plans. This infographic can be your guide to getting back together with your partner.

what to do if there is hope for reconciliation (infographic)

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: How Does A Man Feel When A Woman Walks Away?

how does a man feel when a woman walks away_illustration

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

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Jessica Jefferson
Jessica JeffersonMA, MS, LMFT
Jessica Jefferson is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified perinatal mental health professional who is trained to help clients suffering from mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. She graduated with a Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Miami, a Masters in Psychology in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Masters in Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University.

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Siddharth Kesiraju
Siddharth KesirajuMA, Certification in Relationship Coaching
Siddharth holds a certification in Relationship Coaching and a masters degree in communication and journalism from the University of Hyderabad. He has around seven years of experience in various fields of writing and editing.

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Shikha is a writer-turned-editor at MomJunction, with over seven years of experience in the field of content. Having done a certification in Relationship Coaching, her core interest lies in writing articles that guide couples through their courtship to marriage and parenthood.

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Praven is an English literature expert. He did his bachelors in English from Delhi University and masters in English from Manipur University. Besides, he holds a certificate in multimedia design and content creation from NIELIT Imphal and presented papers at various national and international conferences.

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