
☕ Coffee Talks · The Echo of Silence: When the Other Disappears
In times when everything can be silenced, we also learned to silence people. ghosting It is not a digital accident, but a cultural habit: a modern way of fleeing conflict and disguising cowardice as comfort. (Human Area – Ghosting and emotional responsibility)
Those who disappear often think they're avoiding drama, but in reality, they're transferring it. The silence they leave behind is filled with doubts, hypotheses, and guilt. "What did I do wrong?" "Did I say something I shouldn't have?" "Or do I simply not matter anymore?"“
The one who leaves not only interrupts a conversation: erases the recognition of the other.Because silence, when chosen, is not neutral: it communicates indifference, leaving a wound of invisibility. To disappear without saying goodbye is to deny the existence of the bond, as if it had never occurred.
And while the one who was left tries to understand the emptiness, the one who left is already preparing to start another story.There is no mourning, no review, no empathy: just the quick search for new validation. ghoster He cannot stand the reflection of his own emptiness and needs another mirror where he can feel seen again. That is why ghosting It is not so much an unfinished story, but a repetition without consciousness: what is not faced, is repeated. (Psychology Today – Ghosting: The Mental Health Effects)
Perhaps, without realizing it, we live in a culture that teaches us to disconnect rather than confront.As Bauman said, today's connections are fluid: they adapt, evaporate, and are replaced. We prefer to erase rather than explain, to disappear rather than sustain discomfort. ghosting It is not born of contempt, but of an age that fears depth: immediacy became a refuge, and empathy, a luxury.
Perhaps the true gesture of maturity is know how to close with respect, even if it's uncomfortable. Because even short stories deserve a full stop, not an ellipsis.
❓ Final question
How do you close something that someone else left open?
Answer: with its own closure. Three simple steps:
1) Name without attacking: “I notice there was no response and I prefer to close.”
2) Send a short last message (optional): “Thanks for sharing. I'll be on my side. I wish you the best.”
3) Withdraw your attentionMute/block if necessary, take care of your routine, and get back to what feels good to you. Give yourself the respect you didn't receive and close with respect.
