Unlike pets, relationships on Twitter can just be for Christmas. Or a weekend. Or even a couple of hours.

There’s not a single user on the network who counts everybody as a fan. There’s nobody even close to that. Lady Gaga, one of the biggest celebrities on the planet, has more than 30 million followers. That’s impressive, but it also means well over 100 million other Twitter users don’t care enough to be one of them.

Everything is relative – an essential follow for one person is an irritant (and sometimes an instant block) for another.

Each time we make the decision to follow someone we apply a little expectation to that connection. And if they don’t deliver, then parting ways is not only the smart thing to do – it’s to be actively encouraged.

If it isn’t working out, go ahead and cut them loose. It’s cool. Twitter doesn’t wave a little flag when you move on – it will be your little secret. There’s nothing to be afraid of, and most people won’t even notice. So do things the right way by keeping quiet, and being discreet. Because even if the person you’ve unfollowed seems like the biggest jerk, publicly bragging about why you had to let them go is a lot, lot worse.

(Image credit: John Scott Haydon.)