> I don't understand people who take a "no thank you" personally, some of the comments are along the lines of: "Ha! sure showed them!" but really it's just like dating, sometimes you get passed up for no other reason than you weren't the person the other was looking for at the right time.

Perhaps that makes sense if you don't make it past the application or initial phone conversation

However, once a company gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your professional skills, either via a technical phone screen / homework / on-site whiteboard-a-palooza, I don't think its accurate to state that they're just not that in to you.

Your personal performance in that session is the reason for you advancing forward or not and when you don't, it is hard not to take that personally.