Psychology says reading old chats hurts after a breakup because your brain keeps returning to the version of love that once felt safe

Psychology does not suggest that people revisit old conversations because they are emotionally weak or incapable of moving forward. Human emotions and memories are far more nuanced than that. Research indicates that unresolved feelings, nostalgia, attachment styles, counterfactual thinking, and the mind’s natural desire for closure can all motivate people to reread messages from the past.