It's not just about stopping; it can also mean 'I need time to think' before making an important decision. You can also use it when you want to take a brief pause in a relationship or conversation.

This design comes from audio tape recorders, where the two bars symbolized the tape being temporarily halted. Unlike the stop button (⏹️), it's interesting how this emphasizes a 'temporary' state that can be resumed (▶️) at any time.