We’ve all had those moments where we’re stuck between not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings and not wanting to guide them. Many people in this situation resort to ghosting.

Actually, according to a survey conducted by the Thriving Center of Psychology84% of people have been ghosted and 65% have ghosted someone else.

In general terms, ghosting is the sudden act of cutting off all ties and communications with someone you are dating or in a relationship or even friendship with. Essentially, ghosting is completely cutting someone off without explanation, as if you were disappearing into thin air.

Personally, I don’t think ghosting is appropriate. You need to be mature enough to communicate with each other and make sure you are on the same page. However, there are always exceptions.

Here are 7 times it’s totally okay to ghost someone:

1. You’ve never met in real life and things are getting weird

If you’ve never met in person, you have no obligation to communicate that you don’t feel it, especially if something gets weird and you don’t even want to be friends.

Usually, if you haven’t met the person, it hasn’t been a lot of time and effort invested, so why go through the drama?

Ekaterina Zubal | Shutterstock

RELATED: If Your Loved One Has These 20 Personality Traits, Prepare to Be Ghosted

2. Disaster strikes on the first date

If your first date or meeting someone is total chaosdon’t hesitate to move on without the other person knowing. When I say “disaster,” I’m not talking about awkward chatter or a lack of connection. I mean things like an argument, aggressive behavior, very clear signs that they find you offensive or unpleasant, or if you found their behavior offensive or unpleasant.

If the other person wonders what happened when their time together was disastrous or chaotic, they may need to reevaluate their judgment and perceptions. Again, if it was a simple mismatch, don’t ghost. A simple text like “Nice to meet you, but I don’t feel any connection. »

3. They are creepy, abusive, or inappropriate

Most of us have had an experience where a person turns out to be someone completely different from the person you first met.

They may send you obsessive messages or show up at random places you’ve never told them about. Run. You don’t owe this person any explanation. This person needs to be faced with reality and that’s not your job.

4. You caught the person lying

Let’s be real here. If a person has the nerve to lie, they don’t deserve an explanation as to why you suddenly stopped talking to them. Period.

5. You have a strange or negative intuition about them

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We all must use our instinct and intuition more because it would save us a lot of drama and headaches. If there is something wrong with the person’s mood or energytrust yourself and book it. Obviously the person did or said something that didn’t sit well with you. Sure, you can send the message “I don’t feel a connection,” but if that seems risky, just don’t do it.

RELATED: If You Want to Trust Your Instincts More, You Need to Make 5 Small Changes

6. They meet your deal breakers

Many people have certain things that they consider to be the ultimate deal breaker and that they absolutely will not accept in a partner. According to a 2023 studyThe most common deal breakers are apathy, rudeness, attachment, and dependence.

If a person reaches a point where they met your biggest and most important deal-breakerchances are there are other skeletons in the closet.

7. You don’t know where things stand

If a person is not willing to discuss the situation in terms of a relationship or friendship, you are free to do whatever you want. You don’t owe this person anything. An example might be refusing to state that they are already in a relationship, whether they want the same type of relationship as you, or any other questions that should be simple to answer.

If the person avoids the topic or simply ignores it when you bring it up, they simply don’t deserve an explanation or discussion about why you’re about to ghost.

There is times when you don’t need to feel bad or justify why you ghosted someone. If someone isn’t willing to give you the honesty and respect you deserve, why should they get it from you?

However, if things just aren’t working out or you just aren’t feeling it, and the person is a decent human being, they deserve a discussion about why.

RELATED: Why I’d Rather Be Ghosted Than Outright Rejected

Brittney Lindstrom is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. She writes about relationships, organizational psychology and behavior, personality psychology, and more.