I have a couple times. The last time was a couple years ago with someone I met online who I was getting to know but didn’t like after the first date. They asked if I felt like watching some movie and I didn’t respond and they didn’t follow up. Tbh, I probably would’ve answered if they had sent a second text. I guess I avoided telling them the truth but it stuck with me like a pebble in my shoe and I feel bad thinking about it.
Ghosting is a normal part of life. It happens, and 95% of the time it’s inadvertent and not a slight. People come in and leave your life. That’s just how it works.
If someone isn’t worth the hassle, move on. It doesn’t even deserve an explanation or second thought.
Only you get to determine how your time is spent. Nobody deserves a monopoly over your emotions or effort, and anybody who demands an explanation is just manipulating you because they don’t respect your agency as a person as much as they value their own pride. Don’t fall for the toxicity.
There are eight billion people out there. It would take 250 years to high-five them all. Lots of noise, very little signal.