Mixed Signals · No. 16
What does “Let me sleep on it” mean?
From Reese, your sister, two days after you suggested a family trip next summer
Let me sleep on it.
It could mean
- Not interested, and being polite
- Interested, and needing to check something first
- Annoyed you planned it without her
What was going on
Reese loved the idea and spent two days checking her budget before she answered.
This message and its story are made up. Real messages don’t come with the story.Ask before you answer
Text loses tone, so a short message can read harsher, or softer, than it was meant. Before you answer, ask what they meant. That’s Check before assuming, one of the principles Porcupine is built on.
What research says
In an experiment, managers’ judgments of job candidates shifted with how long a candidate took to answer an email (a day, two weeks, or no answer for over a month), and how much the wait mattered depended on how appealing the candidate was otherwise.
Got a real text like this? Run a Quills Check.
Paste it. I’ll show you a few ways it could be read, and what you could ask instead of guessing. Writing your own? Switch to “I’m sending it” and I’ll show you if the quills are up.
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Find the words with Porcupine
The Quills Check helps with one text. Porcupine helps with the whole conversation, from what you ask through their reply. It’s coming soon, and we’ll let you know when it’s ready.
Every message and story in Mixed Signals is made up.