“We have to talk”

The dreaded “we have to talk” message should never ever be sent! Even if you’re in a place where you can’t call or you can’t see the other person face to face, don’t send them this text message.

We guarantee that the other person will be on the edge of their seat. They’ll feel anxious and they might be wondering if they’ve done anything wrong to upset you.

Be courteous of their time and feelings. Ask for a good time to talk instead. If you feel even this might make them feel more anxious, let them know what you want to talk about in person in broad strokes. This should alleviate most of their stress.

Additionally, news of death shouldn’t be shared over text or emails. Absolutely do not preface this with “we have to talk”- trust me, I’m writing from experience and it’s never a good way to receive some news. Plus, the next time you’ll send them a “we have to talk”, they’ll expect the worst.

Breaking up with a romantic partner

Are the sparks of your relationship gone? If you think it’s time for you and your current partner to part ways you might feel compelled to do it over text. Even if you don’t want to face your partner, doing it over text shows bad manners. If you don’t want to face their hurt, you’ll end up making things worse in the process.

If you have a common friend group, you may also alienate yourself from them by doing this if your partner will complain about how you handled things.

This, of course, is in regards to most relationships though we do understand there may be cases where doing it face-to-face might make you feel uncomfortable too. In that case, the best course of action is to ask for help from someone close to you instead of resorting to text.