The Rudeness Revolution: Why People Think Silence Is Acceptable Now

When I first started to unpack this topic after a phone call with a friend, I thought it would be an observation. But it very quickly became a rant…and I’m going with it!

There is nothing old school about consideration. Or responsiveness. Or the simple act of letting someone know where things stand. That isn’t nostalgia … it’s respect!

For a while, I tried to make peace with the silence. I told myself it was generational. Then I blamed technology. Then I chalked it up to modern life… overflowing inboxes, calendar chaos, yada, yada, yada.

At one point, I even considered lowering my standards.(Briefly.)

But then I stopped and asked myself: when did basic courtesy become optional? And who decided that not responding was a neutral act rather than a choice?

Silence, BTW, is not passive. It sends a message. And often, that message is received as "you’re not a priority,” even when that wasn’t the intention.

What’s especially interesting is that this behavior cuts across ages, industries, and levels of seniority. Which means it isn’t generational at all. It’s cultural. Somewhere along the way, delayed responses, or no responses at all, became normalized…excused. Occasionally even reframed as a power move.

This is where my patience wears thin.

Jonathan Tisch, Co-Chairman of the Board of Loews Corporation and Executive Chairman of Loews Hotels (and my former boss), makes a point of responding to emails within 24 hours.

Let that sink in.

If someone carrying that level of responsibility can manage timely, thoughtful communication, then the rest of us don’t have a time problem. We have an intention problem.

So no, responding isn’t old school. It’s professional. It’s human. It’s a baseline.

And if expecting that now feels demanding, maybe the issue isn’t unrealistic standards. Maybe it’s how comfortable we’ve become with doing less and calling it evolution.

Consider this a rant if you like. Or consider it a reminder that progress doesn’t mean forgetting how to treat people.