There’s something oddly satisfying about the universe handing out poetic justice without you even trying. One LinkedIn user found themselves on the giving end of that lesson when a former college senior ignored their messages about company culture, only to come crawling back months later when he needed a favor.
This time, the tables turned. The moment he realized she might be hiring, his sudden enthusiasm was almost comical. So she gave him the same energy he once did: none at all.
A user, ghosted on work culture questions by a LinkedIn contact, baits him with a fake job opening during his hunt, then blocks him mid-enthusiasm
OP later edited the post
Humans crave balance in relationships, even brief digital ones. When someone ignores us, the rejection triggers what psychologists call social pain, which activates the same brain regions as physical pain (Eisenberger et al., Science, 2003). That’s why getting ghosted stings so much, it’s not about ego, it’s biology.
Dr. Guy Winch, psychologist and author of Emotional First Aid, notes that ghosting “creates a sense of helplessness because there’s no closure or explanation.” In other words, when people vanish mid-conversation, our brains loop through “what did I do wrong?” scenarios. No wonder petty revenge feels temporarily satisfying; it restores a sense of control.
But there’s another layer here, LinkedIn etiquette and emotional labor. Career expert and sociologist Dr. Ruth Gotian told Forbes that people “often underestimate how exhausting networking requests can be for those already overloaded,” which can lead to short, dismissive replies or silence.
So, both sides have a case. The original poster felt ignored after making an earnest request for insight, while the senior likely saw the DM as an unsolicited effort with no incentive. When the power dynamic flipped, both reverted to self-interest, one for help, the other for revenge. Classic digital karma.
From a social psychology angle, this is a perfect example of reciprocal altruism gone wrong, the expectation that “if I help you now, you’ll help me later.” When that unwritten rule breaks, resentment brews. The satisfaction of blocking him probably came not from cruelty, but from symmetry: she finally controlled the narrative.
Still, as Dr. Winch points out, indulging in small revenges may offer “short-term validation but rarely long-term healing.” So while her act of blocking felt empowering, the real takeaway might be this: in professional spaces, kindness costs nothing, but indifference can cost you your reputation.
Here are the comments of Reddit users:
These users cheered OP’s pettiness, calling it deserved payback and satisfying karma
Commenters condemned the post as manipulative and entitled, saying OP went too far
Would you have blocked him too, or just left him on read forever? Drop your verdict, Team Karma or Team Classy, in the comments below.
