Does it hurt your feelings if someone unfollows you?

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  1. Sherry Hewins profile image86
    Sherry Hewinsposted 12 years ago

    Does it hurt your feelings if someone unfollows you?

    Mary615 recently wrote a hub asking the question "What Makes You Decide To Unfollow A Fellow Hubber?" It sparked a lot of comments, but it got me thinking. Why do I want followers? Presumably it's because they will be interested in reading my hubs and/or Q&A or whatever. I've also noticed lately that my follow number is stuck at 229. It's hit 230 a couple of times, but keeps going back down. So should I be upset that some people have stopped following me? I don't think so, if they are not interested, or worse yet are bugged by my posts, why would I want them to follow me?

  2. TIMETRAVELER2 profile image76
    TIMETRAVELER2posted 12 years ago

    No, it doesn't hurt my feelings.  If people like what I write and it holds their interest, they'll stick with me.  If not, they shouldn't.  I don't think it's personal, just a matter of personal taste.

  3. profile image0
    Lizam1posted 12 years ago

    No but it might make me wonder why. I have unfollowed a couple of hubbers who had very strong religious views that bordered on cultism.

    1. Sherry Hewins profile image86
      Sherry Hewinsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Sure, you wonder, but those same hubbers you unfollowed may have won followers with the same views that drove you away. I guess I'd worry if lots of followers started dropping me, the I'd try to figure out why.

  4. Angela Blair profile image68
    Angela Blairposted 12 years ago

    No, it doesn't hurt my feelings if someone unfollows me but it makes me question myself as to the quality of my writing, subject matter -- and did my big mouth accidently hurt someone else's feelings. I often, in an attempt at humor, have come off as smart-mouth and that was never my intention (unless I've picked up a troll and can't get rid of him). As I write on a variety of subjects my writing isn't going to appeal to everyone all the time and I suspect if I fail to hit on certain subject matter from time-to-time that is dear to someone else's heart -- well, they'll quit following me in favor of someone who shares more of their personal interests. When someone does quit following me I take it as a failure on my part to satisfy them whether it be my writing, attitude, etc. -- BUT fact is, no one can be all things to everyone so one just has to accept that and go on.

    1. Sherry Hewins profile image86
      Sherry Hewinsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      People with strong opinions are bound to offend someone.I wouldn't worry about it Angela, just keep on being yourself, I'm sure plenty of people will keep following you. Wouldn't it be boring here if everyone tippy toed around trying not to offend an

    2. Angela Blair profile image68
      Angela Blairposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, Sherry -- yes, tippy toeing around would be a real hassle and certainly no fun!

  5. Georgie Lowery profile image87
    Georgie Loweryposted 12 years ago

    I sometimes wonder why, or who it was that unfollowed me, but I don't get booty hurt about it. Unless, of course, it's someone who I really admired.

  6. relache profile image65
    relacheposted 12 years ago

    When someone stops following you, there's no way of telling if that person simply changed their mind, or if they were a random spammer who got banned.

    If they changed their mind, that's their right to do so, and for you to feel mad at them or slighted seems pretty ridiculous and/or self-centered.  It's like music:  people just like what they like for why they like, and some people are going to change their mind no matter what you do.

    And if the follower who dropped off the list was a spammer, well you don't want those sorts of followers anyway... right?

    So to put energy into worrying about it doesn't make sense to me.

    1. breathe2travel profile image75
      breathe2travelposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Excellent point about the spammer, relache.

  7. Express10 profile image76
    Express10posted 12 years ago

    I would not be upset if I am un-followed. People and their interests change all the time. If my topics and hubs simply don't interest others, then being un-followed is the only way for them to show me. Also, it's possible they want to narrow down the number of people they follow to actually (gasp!) have more meaningful interaction with their preferred hubbers and maintain more control over their time.

    1. Sherry Hewins profile image86
      Sherry Hewinsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think a lot of people followed me because of my craft hubs, they were popular. But most of my hubs are not about crafts, so maybe some people aren't interested in my hubs about California. And actually my feelings are not hurt at all.

  8. writeyourwrongs profile image44
    writeyourwrongsposted 12 years ago

    At times I can be a fairly opinionated guy. I may have less than 30 followers in my 2 weeks here so far, and yes I've seen 1 or 2 of those drop out. However, I remain firmly of the belief that if they aren't enjoying my hubs/posts/whatever enough to continue following... then I don't want them following me!
    I only choose to follow a person who I have a real good reason to, I would expect others to do the same.
    John
    (Oh, but to answer your question: Yes, it upsets me a little)

    1. Sherry Hewins profile image86
      Sherry Hewinsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      OK, that was a good honest answer. Even though logically we know you can't please everyone, rejection hurts a little.

  9. tirelesstraveler profile image60
    tirelesstravelerposted 12 years ago

    I am convinced that some people who disagree with you un-followe.  I also know some of those who have un-followed me have become good friends.  We still don't agree, but if you agree with everyone you meet life would be boring.
      I try to read a few of hubs before I follow someone. That way I have a feel for the kind of things they write. Sometimes what they write is of no interest, no matter how good their writing so if I have hit follow before reading I unfollow.

    I spend some days looking for new people to follow.  When reading interesting comments I follow. Some people respond, some respond eventually and some never respond. My followers stay static otherwise.

    1. Sherry Hewins profile image86
      Sherry Hewinsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think I unfollowed you by accident, I do disagree with you sometimes, but I like your hubs, well some of them. I follow lots of people I don't always agree with. If someone's always pushing an agenda I don't like I probably would unfollow.

  10. GmaGoldie profile image81
    GmaGoldieposted 12 years ago

    It used to bother me allot then my earnings went up and the importance of followers was superseded by readers.

    I am frustrated severely and even saddened when a closer hubber's life takes them to different places away from HubPages - I miss them terribly but life has chapters and my Mother used to say ships pass in the night.

    Relating relationships to ships and chapters helps me keep it all in perspective - it is not personal, it is simply a part of life.

    The main item is we take the best of that person, that fellow hubber with us throughout our lives.

  11. breathe2travel profile image75
    breathe2travelposted 12 years ago

    I've been disappointed to see a follower drop me - but I am not "hurt".  I enjoy knowing people like my writing, and when someone "unfollows" me I suppose recent hubs may have rubbed them the wrong way. Not sure the reason.  However, most of my readership comes from google, not hubpages, so a dropped follower has not significantly hurt my numbers.
    I follow people whom I don't necessarily agree with all that they write, but have found them to be excellent writers, thorough in their discussion.  I enjoy learning different world views and understanding people from various walks of life.  I'd like to think that more people were like that -- but the way hubbers vote answers down on Q&A, regardless of the quality of answer, is a reflection that many hubbers are led purely by emotion, not reason.

  12. mary615 profile image94
    mary615posted 12 years ago

    I've often wondered if the Hubber you unfollow knows you have unfollowed her/him?  And how would I know if a particular Hubber unfollowed me?
    I wouldn't take it personally if someone unfollowed me, though.

    1. Sherry Hewins profile image86
      Sherry Hewinsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The only way I know is to look at your list of followers and see who's missing. As the list grows, I'm afraid I don't remember some who don't post regularly. You have to click through all the pages, it's kind of a pain. Usually I don't try.

  13. hi friend profile image60
    hi friendposted 12 years ago

    It doen't hurt my feelings, because the quality of the contents will attract others to follow us or read the pages

    1. profile image0
      rgmg50posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      No it doesn't hurt my feelings, if they want to follow me they will. Sometimes people follow because they think they want to, but realise later that your hubs is not really what they are interested in.

  14. freecampingaussie profile image60
    freecampingaussieposted 12 years ago

    No but I do wonder what I have done or not done for them to stop following me then I carry on with answering questions, hub hopping etc !

    1. Sherry Hewins profile image86
      Sherry Hewinsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Do you try to figure out who they are and stop following them?

    2. freecampingaussie profile image60
      freecampingaussieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      No Sherry - just carry on with life !

 
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