It has probably happened to you: someone receives your message; they read it, but they don't send back any reply even after a reasonable passage of time ( you were left on read). You are left wondering if their phone has some problem, or maybe some other technical issue got in the way and their message was never delivered.

All kinds of thoughts go through your mind when you are left on read. For starters, being left on read is a classic ghosting move.

You are dating, having scintillating conversations on the phone, and one day they don't reply to your message and minutes turn into hours and hours into days.

In relationships, being left on read makes you imagine that maybe the person has found another love interest or lost interest completely.

How Did We Get Here?

Social media, that's how it all began.

It's amazing, isn't it? You can get in touch with anyone wherever they are in the world.

Heck, you can even keep track of people using social media and know what's going on in their lives.

On Facebook, you can see what they were up to last night. You can track what events they plan on attending in the future, find out who they are dating, and see what things they like, and so forth.

That is why you can show up at places they frequent and meet them by "accident."

And it's all fun and games until someone uses social media to hurt you. Then you step back and ask yourself what the hell is going on.

For instance, why were you left on read?

It took a lot of courage to send that message, and you were excited about the response you would get. Maybe you thought the message would open the door to the next stage of the relationship.

But all you got was being left on read.

How The Hell Are You Supposed To Take That?

It hurts when someone reads a message that requires a response and does nothing. That can really sting.

It can also be embarrassing and humiliating.

So, What Might Have Happened?

It's human nature to want to understand why something happened, especially when it didn't go as intended.

I'll rip off the Band-Aid by telling you that being left on read is a negative sign. It might even mean you have been ghosted, or that the person is no longer interested.

That's the harsh truth.

But look on the bright side. At least you knew they weren't interested early enough.

Additionally, you were not dissed to your face. So, you can nurse your wounds and move on with no major incident to mark the occasion.

You Should Actually Be Grateful You Were Left On Read

What? Really?

Yes, you should be glad you know they read the message. In the past, you weren't even sure that someone had received your message.

There were no "delivery reports." And there was no way of knowing they had read the message either.

But today, you get all this information. After you see the message has been read, you can expect a response.

At first, you avoid jumping to the worst possible conclusion and assume that they are probably busy. Maybe they got caught up while in the process of typing a reply and didn't hit send.

But it has been several minutes now, but still, no response is forthcoming. Minutes turn into hours, and the day is gone, and another has begun.

You can see they are online. They have been online several times, but they are still not responding.

Then the truth hits you: they probably don't want to reply to the message. You have been left on read on purpose.

That hurts.

Still, you remain hopeful. You imagine maybe they got distracted or imagined they sent a reply when they actually didn't.

All that is entirely possible, and that's when the temptation to send a follow-up message emerges.

How About Sending Another Message?

Before you send another message, you ask yourself lots of questions. How will it make you look if indeed your message was ignored on purpose?

After all, you don't want to look desperate.

And then you have to consider the nature of the message you sent. But you can send another message.

You can even follow up with a joke. It's all up to you.

However, you should have self-respect when you are left on read for the second time.

That is a clear sign that you should back off, regardless of how justifiable their reasons might be.

When the second message is also ignored, then the person isn't interested in talking to you.

But Why Were You Left On Read?

Closure can help you move on after the pain of being left hanging when you were so eager to get a response. And luckily, you don't have to get in touch with the person to get closure.

You can take a walk down memory lane and try to find out how your relationship has been with this person.

For instance, did you have a fight?

Also, did your message potentially hurt them or offend them based on their beliefs or something that has happened to them in the past?

Is there another issue getting in the way? Did you break a promise you made to them?

All these questions are worth considering because as much as you might hurt from being left on read, the reason you are getting ignored might be you.

In that case, making things right might make them warm up to you and start responding to your messages.

But after you correct whatever problem you think you might have caused, don't bother them. If they still don't want to talk to you, let them be.

Also, consider that the message might have been a conversation closer. In that case, either you or the person you messaged has the obligation to start another conversation.

There's another possible reason you were left on read: you asked a question they might not have been in a position to answer.

Maybe you have been dating for a while and wanted to know if you could take things to the next level. Because they are not yet sure of their own feelings, the person saw the message and decided to consider the answer properly before giving you a response.

At other times, someone read a message they didn't intend to read.

So, give consideration to such issues.

The Ultimate Solution To Being Left On Read

At the end of the day, your happiness should not depend on another person.

So, if someone regularly leaves you hanging, then take that as a message that the person does not consider you a priority and leave them alone.

We live in an age where messages are delivered in an instant. And you can even tell that someone is able to answer the message based on whether or not they are online at the time.

Therefore, when someone is available to chat with other people but regularly ignores your messages, just forget about them and move on with your life.

Don't send countless messages or assume the worst. Understand that in this day and age, you will meet such people and there's no need to obsess over their manners.

You can also cope by focusing your attention on something else. For instance, you can catch up on your favorite shows, hang out with friends, go shopping, or read a book.

Anything that diverts your attention and helps you get your mind off the humiliation of being left on read can make you handle the situation more comfortably.

And why stop there?

You can also focus your attention on someone who is more interesting and sees your worth. Someone who desires to have a romantic relationship with you should clearly show a little more effort.

You will probably be grateful later on when you realize that you dodged a nightmare of a partner. Desperately trying to get the person interested could mean ending up in a dysfunctional relationship that drains you emotionally and psychologically.

And If It's You Leaving People On Read?

Maybe you are not the person being left on read. You might be the person doing it to others.

Even if you do it out of habit, it is something you need to work on. Even if you are not interested in the person, it's a common courtesy to reply to their messages.

There is no need to make someone feel bad or guilty over nothing simply due to your poor texting habits.

But otherwise, if someone is regularly leaving you on read, then you should distance yourself from them for the sake of your psychological health. The important thing to understand is that normal well-adjusted people don't mindlessly hurt others by leaving their messages unanswered.