Yikes, Terse...Curt Emails: ?

3 Comments

1. AnonymousJune 25,2024 at 7:21PM UTC

   Are they really terse and curt or when you read them do you read them with that tone? The only reason I ask is I did that for many years, just to find out it was me.

2. AnonymousJune 25,2024 at 9:47PM UTC

   You know as a super busy person I tend to be blunt. I will often email the same way I text. Because I just do not have the time. Hopefully they know it. I’m fairly sure they do. That’s inside the organization for anyone outside. I tend to be a little more formal.

3. AnonymousJune 26,2024 at 3:46AM UTC

   I have been called out on wording in emails before, and it only made me realize that what you type has no body language or vocal inflection, so the person on the other end cannot see or hear if you are angry, sad, or jumping for joy. What happened when I did it? I used words that triggered negative reactions in someone. I was unaware of their particular sensitivity to that language, and when they brought it to my attention, we talked about what I meant and the tone I meant to convey. I like the one who suggested asking if you had done something that made them angry and what you could do to correct it. If you feel comfortable, it might be worth doing it face to face because that way, you can get a sense of the body language that better reflects the emotions. I have PTSD from an abusive marriage, so certain words and phrases can conjure up extremely negative emotions in me, so I understand how some people can react differently to the same message, especially when it is in written form.