Don’t ignore people.

Whatever the problem is, this is not the way to solve it. Even if you think the person has hurt you really badly, after talking to them and seeing things from their perspective you might realize that the situation is a bit different. And even if you’re totally in the right, talking and figuring out a solution together is much better than giving someone silent treatment and keeping them in the dark.

What if that person doesn’t even know why you’re upset? What if they think they did nothing wrong? Both sides need to know how the other person feels in order to find a way to make things work. And worst case scenario is, you’ll realize you don’t want to talk to this person ever again--well, then at least they will know why you’re not talking to them.

Also while you’re ignoring someone, that person might realize they’re better off without you, and then when you will finally want to talk, they would not be there anymore.

Don’t pretend a problem doesn’t exist.

If you think someone has done something wrong, or said something to offend you, don’t keep it inside. It’s better to have an argument about it right away than to keep things bottled up inside for a while and then to have a huge fight. And trust me, the huge fight will happen, because problems don’t just go away. The person will continue doing whatever they were doing, oblivious to the way you feel about it, and why would you expect them to know if you never mentioned it?

Once again, communication is essential to any working relationship, and please, please don’t communicate through passive-aggressive hints. I, for one, refuse to respond to things like that, so if you don’t tell me what’s bothering you, I will not try to guess, deciphering your sighs and double-meaning remarks. And I won’t expect you to do that, either.

Don’t make people feel guilty in order to manipulate them.

Do I even have to explain that one? Manipulating people is wrong in general, and you definitely shouldn’t use guilt for that. And please, don't use people's anxiety, either. I don't know why some people think it's acceptable. It's not, it's really not.

Don’t end a relationship without telling the other person you want to do it.

I can’t believe I actually have to write that, but a person has tried to do that to me. Do I really have to say that it didn’t work? In the end we still had to talk, and that conversation would’ve gone much better if it didn’t have to start with me asking why the hell we haven’t spoken in a week. Relationships end, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong in that, but you have to talk about it and get some sort of closure.

Just talk to people you care about. It's simple. Just talk to them, and be honest.

I’ll repeat, communication is key. Relationships are great, but they require work, and lately I’ve been doubting that people know how to handle that. But I have hope. I hope people will grow up and realize how important it is to keep relationships healthy and happy.