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How Long Should I Wait To Text Him Back After He Ignored Me?

how long do I wait to text him back, when to text him back, how long you should wait to text him back after he ignored you, should I text him back after he ignored me

Isn’t it horrible to invest weeks of your time talking to a guy, developing feelings for him and getting your hopes up only for him to turn around and start ignoring you? And just when you start accepting the idea that things won’t work out, he texts you out of the blue. Which begs the question, how long should I wait to text him back after he ignored me?

You should wait 2 – 3 days before texting him back after he ignored you. This will teach him an important lesson that your time is precious and you’re not going to make an effort with someone who doesn’t seem interested or invested in you. 

There’s a fine distinction between a man being too busy or occupied with an emergency compared to being ignored. 

The former is an understandable reason for why he hasn’t replied to your texts or calls for a while. The latter is rude and usually a sign of low interest or an untrustworthy man. In this article, we’ll focus on the latter. 

Let’s talk about the reasons why he ignored you followed by why you should wait a few days before replying to his texts.

Related post: 7 signs you are chasing him and why you should stop

The reasons why he ignored your texts 

Understanding why he backed off from you is imperative because it equips you with enough knowledge to handle the situation appropriately. Also, as a man, I feel it can really ease a woman’s anxiety to know what’s actually happening, even if it’s something you don’t want to hear. 

Here’s a quick summary of the top 4 reasons why he ignored your texts.

  1. He was losing interest in you.
  2. He’s dating other people.
  3. He’s scared of commitment.
  4. He’s immature or drawing boundaries for unacceptable behavior.

Now let’s discuss each of these reasons in more detail so you can understand what sort of behavior causes these issues.

Related post: 10 signs he doesn’t want a relationship

1. He was losing interest in you

When a man loses interest in you, don’t be surprised if he becomes flakey and hard to get a hold-off. In this digital day and age, the main sign of low interest is a lack of replies and punctuality. 

It may not even be intentional. Perhaps, you spent so much time chasing and texting him that he appeared as less of a challenge to him. One thing we know about men is that they love a woman who is a challenge.

We value that which was hard to get. If you handed all of yourself on a silver platter, he may have lost some interest which is why he ignored you for a few days.

2. He’s dating other people

If the two of you are not exclusive and have been talking for a relatively short time, it’s highly probable that he’s talking to or dating other people. 

This is quite common. I wouldn’t say it’s anything to be afraid of except for situations like this. When he starts ignoring you, it’s indicative of his interest level being lower for you and higher for someone else. 

If you would like a step-by-step explanation on how to get an ex back or to re-attract someone who lost interest, grab a copy of my ebook called Reconcile. I put this guide together for serious students of the game who want to cut through the fluff and get results in their love life. Click Here To Check It Out! 

Whether this is something you want to deal with is a personal choice. But, it’s not a good sign when this happens and what you do next can make or break the entire situation. What you don’t want to do is freak out at him or become overly desperate. The best reaction is no reaction at all. 

3. He’s scared of commitment

When things start to heat up and get serious, some men panic and distance themselves in an attempt to slow down and measure their choices. 

It doesn’t mean that he doesn’t like you but someone with commitment issues will run hot and cold quite often. 

Commitment issues can stem from childhood issues caused by a dysfunctional family or from failed relationships that he hasn’t worked through. 

Related post: Does he want a relationship?

4. He’s immature or drawing boundaries for unacceptable behavior

Some men will punish you with silence as a means of getting their way and manipulating you. It’s a power move. He gives you a taste of what it will feel like to be cut off and the feeling of rejection and loss affects the way you think.

In other words, it breaks you down and makes you more submissive to him. This is not a healthy situation to be in.

Alternatively, he could have been ignoring you to teach you a lesson. 

I’m not saying it’s right but if you were acting immature and childish in some way, perhaps by lashing out at him for something and not being reasonable, he could have withdrawn his attention until you decided to cool down.

Why you should wait to text him back after he ignored you

In life, people will only get to repeatedly wrong us if we allow them to do so. A man who ignores you and fails to make an effort to talk to you doesn’t deserve your undivided attention. You must attach consequences to subpar behavior that disrespects you.

Fighting or lashing out at him will only give him the upper hand or validate his decision to ignore you.

Instead, show little to no emotion.

In fact, maintain a positive attitude and be easy going. Do not question where he disappeared to nor talk about missing him. 

The reason why you should wait 2 – 3 days before texting him after he ignored you is to make him reconsider his opinion of you.

If he lost interest in you because he assumed that you’re more into him than he is into you, then he expects you to chase after him or by dying to talk to him when he returns. 

By reacting differently to what he expects, it throws him a curveball. He starts to question whether you actually like him as much as he thought. Then the question of you liking someone else seeps into his mind.

This suddenly makes him far more curious about you and the fear of loss takes a hold of his mind.

You can create all of these doubts and questions by simply not replying to him the same day when he texts you. 

Uncertainty creates curiosity. Curiosity creates interest. Interest creates attraction.

Related post: 12 Reasons why men pull away

In conclusion

How long should I wait to text him back after he ignored me? At least 2 – 3 days, if not more. You don’t want him to think that you were waiting anxiously for him to give you some attention so this is the best approach.

When you’ve been waiting for a guy to text you back after he ignored you, it can be quite exhilarating and exciting when he finally reaches out. But, if you don’t attach some consequences to his behavior, he’ll do it to you more often.

You deserve a guy who can take the time to at least reply to your messages and not actually ignore you.

Most people are on their phones for hours every day. Surely, he can find 2 minutes to text you back? Unless he was dealing with an emergency or life crisis, I don’t think there are many excusable explanations for ignoring you. 

You don’t have to snub him or treat him poorly. But, you shouldn’t be enthusiastic to reply to him unless you did something to upset him in the first place. 

With that being said, I hope you enjoyed this article on how long should I wait to text him back after he ignored me. Feel free to leave your questions in the comment section below. 

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