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Ahem. We're waiting.
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on Dec 10, 2021
What does "left on read" mean? It's something each and every one of us has experienced, whether it be a text or a DM over social media.
You're texting or Snapchatting with a guy and things are going well (maybe even slightly better than well) when, suddenly, everything changes. You send him a text or snap, he reads the text or opens the snap, and you know that he read it because he's been foolish enough not to disable the read receipts in his settings.
And then... nada. They've stopped texting. Your text has been read and it's now being ignored, or, at the very least, it's being rudely put aside to possibly be addressed at some time beyond the immediate future.
Congratulations! You've just joined the fraternal organization of people who have been "left on read" by some jerk they thought they were into.
As defined by Urban Dictionary, you're considered to have been left on read "When you text someone, they see it, but they don't text back." You have our condolences. It's terrible here.
Of course, there are lots of different reasons a person might read your text or open your snap and not respond. Maybe they're losing interest or aren't interested at all. Maybe they got interrupted. Maybe they're playing games.
Whatever their reason is, it sucks. Leaving someone on read is just plain rude.
Some folks are a lot more likely to leave a person on read than others, and those culprits can be found by learning about the characteristics and personality traits that go along with their zodiac sign in astrology.
Here are the zodiac signs most likely to leave you on read, ranked from most to least likely.
1. Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
Taurus is an Earth sign represented by a Bull. What does that mean? They're incredibly stubborn.
Your Taurus man loves the finer things in life, so when you're together you can bet you'll be wined and dined at the finest of establishments. But this beauty-loving materialist is more than what's on the surface.
He's got a lot of feelings, but he can't always express them, which can make answering even the most simple, "Hey! what's up?" type of text impossible for him to respond to. Factor his stubbornness into the equation and you can basically hear the silence of the message he's still not sending for such a long time.
2. Aries (March 21 - April 19)
Aries is all about fire and perseverance when it comes to their job or their career ambitions.
You know what that means: he's going to look at your text, read it, mean to answer it, and then realize that on his list of priorities, crunching those numbers has to come before scheduling a play date with you, his favorite lady.
Don't despair: Aries men are devoted and loyal to their family and friends, so while you might feel ignored, try to remember that he does care about you — he's just got to keep his eye on the ball right now.
3. Virgo (August 23 - September 22)
Virgo men are about perfection in all things, and that doesn't just go for their friends and lovers, but for themselves, too. High standards for Virgo are the order of the day.
However, it's this passion for perfection that can leave your text on read in his inbox for hours, if not days, at a time. He needs to find the perfect response, and that takes time, but he also doesn't want you to worry that he's not there listening.
He has no idea that leaving you on read, combined with his usually restrained emotional state, can make for a storm of frustration and heartache for you while you wait for his response.
4. Libra (September 23 - October 22)
What's a Libra man's guiding force in life? Why, balance, of course!
Libra men try their very best in every way to balance everything they have going on in both their personal and professional lives, but Libras are grounded in the world of the mind, which means they overthink things from time to time.
So, why do Libras not text back? And why does a Libra man suddenly ignore you?
The Libra man doesn't answer texts or stops replying for one reason: If he's left you on read, it's because he feels like there's someone else's text he needs to get to first before he can "reward" himself with yours. How you're supposed to know that is anyone's guess.
5. Aquarius (January 20 - February 18)
If the Aquarian in your life is leaving you on read, this is actually a pretty awesome sign because it means he has a phone.
Those of the Aquarian persuasion are often wild, free-loving eccentrics. They travel the globe and make friends wherever they go.
Their connections are all meaningful, but their easy-going nature attracts loads of new friends, making it hard for them to always answer you back right when you ask what they're up to.
They want to see you, but they've also made about eight hundred other plans. Oops.
6. Pisces (February 19 - March 20)
A Pisces man is a seriously old soul. He's wise and kind and very much in sync with his emotions. A Pisces man not responding to texts means only one thing.
If you text him, the only reason he'd keep you on read is if his attention is divided between you and the handful of other close and personal friends and lovers he has in his life.
Pisces can dwell inside the waters of their emotions, and that can make it hard for them to stick their little fishy heads out of the water and connect when you'd like them to.
7. Gemini (May 21 - June 20)
Oh, Gemini, you fickle, fickle, fellows. You never know what you're going to get with a Gemini, and that's part of their charm.
One day they won't stop hitting you right back text for text, but the next day you see you've been left on read and they've gone radio silent. Trust that when this happens, it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with their mercurial nature.
They've got you on read — not to keep you on a string while they text another person, but because they themselves actually are a different person right now. They'll get back to you when they're back to that self you know and love.
8. Leo (July 23 - August 22)
Leo men are generous and loving. When they love, they do it the way they do everything else in their lives: with ferocity to the extreme.
God bless Leo, but they do love some drama, don't they? While other signs might be content to play the silent game, Leo won't dare to turn down an opportunity to engage in some top-shelf drama, and, frankly, it doesn't get any more dramatic than tearing into someone via a text message fight to end all other text messages fights.
A Leo man not responding to texts is normal. If you're left on read with Leo, it's only the temporary calm before a much bigger storm.
9. Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)
Scorpio men do enjoy a bit of witty repartee (or fiery debate), but they learn pretty quickly that their sharp, stinging tongue can have a negative effect they didn't intend.
If a Scorpio leaves you on read, it's only so they can properly get their bearings on the situation. You asked him to lunch, he read it, and he's still leaving you hanging? That's simply because he's stuck in a meeting that won't seem to end and wants to answer you when he feels certain he can be there.
He'd rather give you an affirmative answer than a maybe that could remain open to misinterpretation.
10. Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)
Sagittarians love gathering information and are always, always on the move, looking for the next thing to do. That means the idea of leaving a text message on read is virtually incomprehensible to them.
These folks are big into self-reinvention, so if you do get left on read, it might be that their latest evolution doesn't have a place in it for you at the moment, and they don't know how to tell you in any other way than with their silence.
11. Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)
Planners, organizers, collaborators, communicators — when you have a problem, you definitely want a Capricorn man there to help you get to the bottom of it, almost as much as he wants to be there to give you his all.
If you're looking for a loving partner, pick a Capricorn and they will not disappoint. There is one caveat, however. It can take them a while to open up and talk about themselves meaningfully.
So, when they leave you on read, it's probably because you asked him a question about his childhood, and now he's reeling from trying to figure out exactly how he can tackle life's greatest puzzle: himself.
12. Cancer (June 21 - July 22)
The only thing Cancer loves more than feathering their nest is sharing their wide array of emotions.
Cancer will never leave you on read. If you come across a Cancer man not responding to texts, it's just because you were talking and they accidentally left the window open, and then came back and saw that you had texted; it was marked as read, and they gasped in dismay over what you must be thinking of them.
Then, they probably needed the time to write you the perfect overly apologetic and explanatory text for their behavior (which you probably didn't even notice, because, honestly, it's been all of about 5 minutes, tops).
All in all, if you've been left on read, send a thank you text back letting them know you're no longer interested in spending time on him.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a freelance writer and the former Senior Editor of Pop Culture at Newsweek with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, and true crime.