Persistence is polite.

Persistence(pərˈsistəns) is polite(pəˈlīt).

By Derek Sivers

As teenagers(ˈtēnˌājər), we learned the hard way that if you contact someone and they don’t reply, they’re just not into you. If you keep trying, you must be a total(ˈtōtl) loser(ˈlo͞ozər).

But in the business world, it’s the opposite(ˈäpəzit). If you don’t keep trying, you’re a loser!

If someone doesn’t get back to you, it probably wasn’t intentional(inˈtenCHənl). Everyone is busy, and their situation(ˌsiCHəˈwāSH(ə)n) has nothing to do with you.

Imagine two different scenarios(-ˈnär-,səˈne(ə)rēˌō):

Someone doesn’t reply, so you get upset and decide they’re evil(ˈēvəl) and clearly meant to insult you. You resent them for life, and speak poorly of them forever.

Someone doesn’t reply, so you assume they must be swamped in work. You wait a week, and contact them again. If still no reply, you feel sympathy(ˈsimpəTHē) that they must be really overwhelmed. You wait a week, and try again. If still no reply, you try to reach them a different way.

Now, which one was rude(ro͞od), and which one was polite?

https://sivers.org/persistence