TEXT ME NO QUESTIONS AND I’LL TELL YOU NO LIES

Standard text replies to keep at your fingertips

Whether you realize it or not, ignoring that text message is still sending a message. Apart from some exceptions – under the weather, avoiding a stalker or receiving the fifth meme from your unemployed friend, the Inevitable Gentleman finds it in poor form to not reply. Ironically, smartphones have made communication easier than ever, but for the Gen Z crowd who’s only known a world with Internet and mobile devices, avoiding text messages has become almost de rigueur.

This behavior is far from gentlemanly. A simple response can take less than five seconds. The underlying issue may truly be that a text, which is immediate, forces a decision to be made on the spot. It corners us. We get it – sometimes you just don’t want to have to think on your feet. But, not acknowledging a message sends the wrong one. Disinterest being the main one.

The Inevitable Gentleman offers these quick, standard replies you should keep at your fingertips to uphold your end of the conversation. You can put off a decision and spare your recipient’s feelings, in the process.

If you receive a text from:

A friend, spouse or significant other, your reply should be…

“Hey [doll, buddy, love, etc.], I’m super swamped. Call you back later.”

Simply starting with a term of endearment defuses the fact that you don’t have time to engage while stating that you're “swamped” removes you of any fault because you’re busy.

A friend or date asking you to make plans…

“Let me check and I will get back to you.”

You’re not saying “no,” you’re just giving yourself time to decide while not offending the inviting party.

Your boss on the weekend…

“Hello! I’m out for a hike and don’t have good service. Touch base tomorrow?”

If you play your cards right, your boss may feel guilty for interrupting and/or annoyance that you can’t respond fast enough that s/he withdraws the initial query altogether. Win-win!

Simple acknowledgment – even without ever actually agreeing to or confirming anything at all – goes a long way.