The Master of Avoidance

I keep wondering why some people run away from difficult conversations. Is it fear? Guilt? A refusal to be vulnerable? Maybe it’s all of the above.

Confronting hard truths means facing parts of ourselves we’d rather not acknowledge; the parts that are selfish, wrong, or broken. And not everyone is ready for that. Some people would rather disappear than admit fault, choosing silence as a shield. They convince themselves that avoidance is mercy, that it’s better to say nothing than to say something that might hurt.

Silence is its own kind of cruelty. It is a slow, unspoken betrayal. It lingers in the spaces where words should have been. It doesn’t just end a conversation; it leaves wounds open, raw and aching, with no closure to soothe them. It turns simple misunderstandings into deep fractures. People start to question their worth and their actions. They wonder whether they ever truly mattered to the one who walked away.

Silence doesn’t erase pain; it amplifies it. It forces the mind to fill in the gaps with worst-case scenarios, with assumptions that cut deeper than the truth ever could. It keeps people trapped in endless loops of what-ifs, stranded in the ruins of unfinished conversations, searching for answers that may never come. And in that emptiness, resentment grows, turning absence into something heavier than presence ever was.

I’ve seen it happen, words left hanging, emotions bottled up until they turn into resentment. The weight of what’s unsaid can be unbearable, pressing down until it’s impossible to ignore. But still, some people run. Maybe they think that by avoiding the conversation, they can escape the consequences. Maybe they believe that if they pretend something doesn’t exist, it will eventually cease to matter.

Some of the deepest conversations are the ones left unspoken.

But the truth doesn’t work like that. It doesn’t vanish just because someone refuses to acknowledge it. Unspoken words don’t disappear; they settle in the cracks of unfinished conversations, weaving themselves into the silence, growing heavier with time. What’s left unsaid doesn’t lose its power—it lingers, echoing in the spaces between people, turning into an unshakable presence that neither distance nor time can erase.

And eventually, those who ran will have to face what they tried so hard to avoid. They may convince themselves they’ve escaped the weight of confrontation. Yet, the past has a way of resurfacing. It often appears when they least expect it. The things they buried will demand to be unearthed whether through a moment of regret, a sleepless night, or a face from the past that reminds them of everything left unresolved.

Between what’s said and unsaid lies the truth we fear the most.

-Annamaldita

The only difference is, by then, it might be too late. The people they left behind may have already walked away. The chance to explain, to apologize, to mend what was broken—may no longer exist. And in the end, the silence they once chose as an escape will become the very thing that haunts them.

So how do we deal with these people?

First, we have to accept that we can’t force someone to have a conversation they’re not willing to have. No amount of pushing will change a person who isn’t ready to listen or speak. The only thing we can control is how we respond. If they refuse to face the truth, we have to decide if waiting for them is worth the pain.

Second, we need to set boundaries. If someone consistently avoids hard conversations, leaving us with unanswered questions and unresolved emotions, we need to ask ourselves if we’re willing to keep chasing closure they may never give. At some point, we have to stop knocking on a door that will never open.

And lastly, we must learn to find closure within ourselves. Not every wound will get the apology it deserves. Not every broken relationship will have a final conversation. Sometimes, the only way to heal is to accept that the other person may never give us what we need—and we have to move forward anyway.

It’s painful, but it’s freeing. Because at the end of the day, running from the truth doesn’t change it. And choosing to face it, even when others won’t, is a kind of strength they may never understand.

Love, 
Ana 💋

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