How to Back Out of a Social Commitment (Without Being a Jerk)

Whatever it is, it’s not always a bad thing to cancel plans.

You’ve already made your decision.

Meg Malone at weblog Gurl suggests letting the other party knowas soon as possible.

Maybe your pet needs to be fed or you’re taking care of someone else’s.

Or maybe you have the best scapegoat of all: kids.

The kids come first, so they have to understand, right?

You don’t have to tell everyone what you’re doing all the time.

Sometimes real life issues come up that aren’t for others to know.

If they respect you, they’ll respect your need for privacy.

Say You’re Sick

This is an all-time classic.

Everybody knows what it’s like to be sick, sothis is an easy way to get a pass.

The more details the better, especially if they’re gross.

Anything that involves vomit, diarrhea, mucus, and the word “buildup” should do the trick.

Tell the other party thatyou’re sorry and mean it.

The words “I’m sorry” can go a long way.

Keep things open with phrases like, “Maybe we can reschedule sometime soon?”

or “I’ll get back to you when I have time to retry.”

Of course, if you do actually want to reschedule, it’s even better.

You only become a flake if you back out regularly.

Stop making plans with people you don’t want to hang out with.