These are just my two cents on the matter but I'd say don't think too hard about it, we mostly act according to our whims and in the least troublesome way possible for us (distancing ourselves from someone for instance, which I'll admit can be pretty insensitive) especially when we let our temper get the better of us.

If he's not responding to your attempts I would suggest giving up at least for the time being, we're pretty stubborn people so being pushy might just make things worse.