Ghosting saves you one awkward message and costs you the kind of person you could have been.

Disappearing solves one uncomfortable conversation by handing the other person an open-ended one they have to have with themselves. They do not get an answer, so they invent several, and most of the inventions are about what is wrong with them. You avoided ninety seconds of awkwardness and spent someone else’s month to do it. You also practise a habit that gets easier every time you use it.

Send the short version instead. This is not working for me, or I am not up for this, with no explanation attached. Awkward and finished beats comfortable and unfinished.