If it’s a hard word, don’t write it. Pick up the phone and call. Better yet, meet in person.

I know, you’d prefer to text—with emojis. But don’t. The speed and ease of text communication is hurting your relationships.

I can’t tell you how many times my wife or someone else I care about misinterpreted a text or email because I was short and to the point, coming off as upset or dismissive.

Long texts and emails are annoying to read. Short messages are easily misunderstood and make the issue seem trite. We can’t tell the tone or temperature of key strokes. Brevity comes off cold. ALL CAPS, aggressive. Pleasantries can seem condescending. Don’t do it.

Communication experts say that up to 70% of what you say is less about what you say but how you say it—body language, tone, pace, volume, facial expressions. You lose all that in a text or email. So much is left open to interpretation.

If you care about the person, make it personal. If it’s hard to say, or could be hard for the person hear/read, do it in person. It’s less convenient and less comfortable, but it’s just better—human to human.