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Wishing you peace and well-being on the Dragon Boat Festival, and happiness for your whole family.

Release Date:

2021-10-11 17:39

The Dragon Boat Festival holiday is just around the corner, This Week’s Share -- Please reply upon receipt—this is more than just a matter of courtesy!

I wonder if, in your life, you often encounter people who don’t like to reply to messages.

You post a work update in the group chat, but he takes forever to reply, leaving you unsure whether the task was even communicated. You reach out to him for advice on something, and he acts as if he didn’t see your message—yet the next time he needs a favor from you, he pretends nothing happened. You try to chat with him, and he ignores you for ages—then suddenly you spot him posting a Moments update, deep in conversation with someone else.

On Zhihu, there’s a question: “What kind of people are the most reliable?” One highly upvoted answer was, “People who reply when they receive a message.” I couldn’t agree more.

Once, my supervisor assigned a task that required the three of us—me, Colleague A, and Colleague B—to complete it together. Colleague A was responsible for gathering and organizing the preliminary materials. So I sent him a message in the group chat, asking him to submit his portion by a specific deadline, so that my work and Colleague B’s could proceed smoothly afterward.

Because the task was quite urgent, I didn’t see his reply in the group chat, and my private message went unanswered as well. Growing a bit anxious, I gave him a call. It took him quite a while to pick up, and when he did, he said, “I saw it. I’ll just finish it by the deadline—nothing major—so I didn’t bother replying.”

After hearing all this, I immediately felt that this person was highly unreliable. To him, as long as the task got done, whether or not he replied didn’t matter much. But he seemed to have forgotten that once a job is assigned to him, it’s no longer just his responsibility—it also involves the other colleagues who are working alongside him.

Receiving a reply is sometimes not just a matter of courtesy—it’s also a measure of reliability.

Not long ago, I blocked a close friend. In his spare time, this friend takes on commissions to paint portraits for others. Once, wanting to create a commemorative portrait of a buddy who was heading off to serve in the military, I reached out to him.

After we agreed on the price, the painting specifications, and the approximate delivery date, I paid the full amount upfront, trusting this friend. When the agreed-upon delivery time arrived, he still hadn’t shown up. I went to find him, and only then did he explain that he’d been quite busy lately and would deliver the piece a few days later.

After that, I messaged him three or four more times, but each time he didn’t reply for several days, making all sorts of excuses: “I’ve got a few pieces that are due very soon—once I finish those, I’ll get to yours right away”; “I’m out of town for training; I’ll send it over in a few days”; “I’m moving these days—once the move is done, I’ll paint it for you.” In the end, no matter what I sent, he simply stopped replying altogether.

Before this incident, I had a very good impression of this friend—humorous, talented, and quite handsome. But after what happened, I blocked him outright. People with poor character aren’t worth keeping in touch with.

Small matters reveal one’s vision, and attention to detail reveals one’s character. Responding promptly to others’ messages and following through on promises—these may seem minor, but they offer a clear glimpse into a person’s integrity. Only those of good character can go the distance.

Receiving a reply is a sign of politeness and a demonstration of respect for others.

When communicating face-to-face, it’s very impolite to ignore someone who speaks to you or greets you, or to pretend you didn’t notice. The same holds true when you receive a reply on WeChat.

Someone once said that when interacting with others, there are two things they find most annoying: first, you talk to them, they hear you but don’t reply; second, you send them a message, they see it but still don’t respond. And then there’s something even more awkward—when the other person doesn’t reply to you, yet posts something on their Moments.

Sincerity begets sincerity; anything that can’t be exchanged in kind will eventually turn into indifference. Remember, between people, feelings and respect are always mutual. You reap what you sow.

In your work, responding promptly earns you the trust of your supervisors and colleagues, helping you to get things done more effectively. In friendships, if you already see each other infrequently, failing to reply to messages will inevitably drive a wedge between you over time. And the people who care about you most are always your parents—be sure to respond to their messages in a timely manner, so they don’t have to sit by their phones, worrying about you.

Every night before bed, take a quick look at your phone, and if there are any important messages you haven’t yet replied to, try to respond. Don’t let such a small thing get in the way of your work or strain your relationships.

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