But, truthfully...I sense that they become relieved (rather than intrigued) when I ignore them.
You are who you are, Cam. Its all good.
Since I'm on a quote kick lately, I'll give you Arlene Feynman (yep, his first wife), from one of my favourite books. Best advice ever from a wife to a husband (I think, anyway):
"What do *you* care what other people think?"
Second thoughts can generally be amended with judicious action; injudicious actions can seldom be recovered with second thoughts.
--Cyteen by C.J.Cherryh
Well, A Feynman is right. I just go through these Pity Party phases. Last about 48 hours and then I'm okay again and then something starts it up again (normally, going out into society and interacting with single women starts it up again because it reinforces my loneliness). I'm much better off when I'm in my house or going through some routine or working...time flies and I lose track of time and life and age, etc. I mean, literally, a decade slipped by almost entirely unnoticed, largely because I was really busy and was able to be very separated from society for quite some time. Girlfriend in 1998, 2002, 2003, 2008. Some incidental dating events in between--nothing much to speak of, however. Each incidence dating event occurs right after a great workplace success and ends following with some form of Pity Party whereby I return to a caccooned existence where I return to the high pressure work and the disappearance from society as much as possible.
Have other guys/gals here gone through similar things? I'd bet "yes."