Page 4 | Are full stops passive aggressive?

Lincslady53 · 07/09/2025 23:13

I think I am quite a stickler for using punctuation, but I have just looked at our family WhatsApp thread, and none is us have used full stops. Funny, how you quickly fall into a way of doing things. DD, 40 something has the common habit of posting a sentence in 2 or 3 WhatsApp posts, so none of the posts end the sentence.

GleisZwei · 07/09/2025 23:13

HevenlyMeS · 07/09/2025 23:10

You're extremely rude & insulting, but at least I respect everyone enough to know, we can all agree to disagree!

Nobody is being 'rude' or 'insulting' to you, that's more inappropriate (exaggerated) word use.
You do have to accept that the importance of punctuation isn't just opinion though, it's a requirement for coherent sentences.

Original poster

Samas · 07/09/2025 23:13

GladioliGreen · 07/09/2025 23:07

The thing is my teens know the correct way, neither of them are stupid, they are both bilingual, one of them entered a national linguistics olympiad without even really knowing what it was and ended up in the top 10 in the country.

It's a societal norm amongst their age group not to use fullstops in texts unless you are annoyed. They are fully aware of how and when to use them in school/for important matters. It isn't that they can't it's that they don't.

When I was a teen and used to take all of the vowels out of words to fit my txt n2 1 msg bcz it wz rly xspnsve it wasn't because I couldn't spell. It was just the norm at the time.

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The problem is that it is creeping into the work place. My colleague actually thought another member of the team was annoyed with her.

OP posts:

CrosswordBlues · 07/09/2025 23:13

AardvarkaKedavra · 07/09/2025 23:04

People can interpret punctuation however they like, I suppose, but they should be aware that most people (or at least those not of their generation) won't be aware of these new 'rules' and most likely won't be following them. If they get hurt feelings or crossed wires because they don't like proper punctuation, that will make their own lives more difficult, but it shouldn't change how the rest of the world operates or writes.

I use the occasional semi-colon in text messages. That would clearly have minds blowing all over.

Mammamiammamia · 07/09/2025 23:15

Arlanymor · 07/09/2025 22:45

I use semi colons a fair bit - have I been inadvertently giving everyone the text equivalent of the bird?!

Oh yes I do this too. I thought I was the only one; apparently we are both being highly offensive!

Excellent.

Fromage · 07/09/2025 23:15

Is this a gen Z thing? They are now triggered by the actual violence of the smallest punctuation mark? (Is it the smallest?)

So

Fuck off

is fine but

Fuck off.

Is worse?

I mean, what is wrong with these people? Is it the smacking? Should we never have let that go out if fashion, or is it because smoking whilst pregnant became frowned upon? Where did we go wrong? Why are all these youths absolute Walter the Softies with no resilience?

HevenlyMeS · 07/09/2025 23:16

Yes, I concur that we do need some punctuation-The point I was making, is that individuals, have their own unique style of writing-It's the tone of a message, which matters most -
So, for example, I used an old friend's usual writing style - She only ever, adds a fullstop at the end of a sentence, when she's upset! Like where it states in the Bible, that God judges us on our hearts-I'm saying it's the vibe, of a message, which is more imperative, than mere punctuation! I'm not saying that all punctuation, is unimportant! Some have misunderstood where I was coming from...

Arlanymor · 07/09/2025 23:17

Mammamiammamia · 07/09/2025 23:15

Oh yes I do this too. I thought I was the only one; apparently we are both being highly offensive!

Excellent.

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Excellent use of a SC in your post too. Kudos!

NorthernGirl1975 · 07/09/2025 23:17

Samas · 07/09/2025 22:16

Are full stops really passive-aggressive now? According to my colleague they are, especially in text messages. Apparently, ending a sentence correctly is no longer “neutral” but somehow comes across as cold or hostile.

yabu= full stops are indeed PA
yanbu= of course they’re not

Of course not. It's punctuation.

NotAhotWeatherPerson · 07/09/2025 23:17

My kids told me that a full stop at the end is now taken as having the final word. Like saying. "This is my opinion and I don't want to discuss it. Full stop." It closes a discussion.

Rightandwrong · 07/09/2025 23:18

AstonUniversityPotholeDepartment · 07/09/2025 23:12

It's contextual.

If, for example, a work colleague sends me a work message asking if I've seen the stationery cupboard keys, no-one sensible would quibble with the following reply from me, despite it finishing with a full stop:

"No, not seen them. Helen needed them yesterday, so ask Helen if she passed them to someone else."

However, you should worry if I send back,

No.

or

Ask Helen.

In short messages, it's become customary not to end the last sentence with a full stop. When people who've fallen into that custom revert to using precise grammar in very short sentences, that full stop is meant to convey some finality to the whole conversation.

To go back to our example with the stationery cupboard keys, the full stop means I'm not willing to engage in further messages about the keys, because it's outside my working hours, and I don't see why Steve is asking me about where things are at the office instead of getting off his arse and looking for them with his eyes?

But I can't say that, so I'm ending the message by slamming the full stop key down hard.

Edited

I honestly cannot believe that every single communication has to be scrutinised and analysed to guess the psychological state of the sender.
Absolute madness.
Paranoia rules.
Just use proper punctuation all the time and there isn't an issue is there?

GleisZwei · 07/09/2025 23:18

HevenlyMeS · 07/09/2025 23:16

Yes, I concur that we do need some punctuation-The point I was making, is that individuals, have their own unique style of writing-It's the tone of a message, which matters most -
So, for example, I used an old friend's usual writing style - She only ever, adds a fullstop at the end of a sentence, when she's upset! Like where it states in the Bible, that God judges us on our hearts-I'm saying it's the vibe, of a message, which is more imperative, than mere punctuation! I'm not saying that all punctuation, is unimportant! Some have misunderstood where I was coming from...

The point is that without proper punctuation the tone can be misinterpreted too. 🤔

awkwardasfuck · 07/09/2025 23:18

Yeah

Yeah!

Yeah.

They all feel different

murasaki · 07/09/2025 23:18

HevenlyMeS · 07/09/2025 23:16

Yes, I concur that we do need some punctuation-The point I was making, is that individuals, have their own unique style of writing-It's the tone of a message, which matters most -
So, for example, I used an old friend's usual writing style - She only ever, adds a fullstop at the end of a sentence, when she's upset! Like where it states in the Bible, that God judges us on our hearts-I'm saying it's the vibe, of a message, which is more imperative, than mere punctuation! I'm not saying that all punctuation, is unimportant! Some have misunderstood where I was coming from...

That wasn't the 'vibe' of your previous posts.

And messages with no punctuation are giving off a poorly educated and/or lazy vibe.

NoWordForFluffy · 07/09/2025 23:18

HevenlyMeS · 07/09/2025 23:16

Yes, I concur that we do need some punctuation-The point I was making, is that individuals, have their own unique style of writing-It's the tone of a message, which matters most -
So, for example, I used an old friend's usual writing style - She only ever, adds a fullstop at the end of a sentence, when she's upset! Like where it states in the Bible, that God judges us on our hearts-I'm saying it's the vibe, of a message, which is more imperative, than mere punctuation! I'm not saying that all punctuation, is unimportant! Some have misunderstood where I was coming from...

Punctuation usage is based on grammatical rules, not vibes!

GleisZwei · 07/09/2025 23:19

NotAhotWeatherPerson · 07/09/2025 23:17

My kids told me that a full stop at the end is now taken as having the final word. Like saying. "This is my opinion and I don't want to discuss it. Full stop." It closes a discussion.

Right, but that's not what it means.

NoWordForFluffy · 07/09/2025 23:20

NotAhotWeatherPerson · 07/09/2025 23:17

My kids told me that a full stop at the end is now taken as having the final word. Like saying. "This is my opinion and I don't want to discuss it. Full stop." It closes a discussion.

It ends a sentence. Reading any more into it than that is just batshit and really weird!

NotAhotWeatherPerson · 07/09/2025 23:20

GleisZwei · 07/09/2025 23:19

Right, but that's not what it means.

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No, it's not. My kids know I use full stops and it doesn't mean anything negative. I get that language does evolve and have no problem with it really. However, younger generations are going to have to understand the older generations might use a full stop without it meaning they are mad or closing the conversation.

AstonUniversityPotholeDepartment · 07/09/2025 23:21

Fromage · 07/09/2025 23:15

Is this a gen Z thing? They are now triggered by the actual violence of the smallest punctuation mark? (Is it the smallest?)

So

Fuck off

is fine but

Fuck off.

Is worse?

I mean, what is wrong with these people? Is it the smacking? Should we never have let that go out if fashion, or is it because smoking whilst pregnant became frowned upon? Where did we go wrong? Why are all these youths absolute Walter the Softies with no resilience?

So, fuck off is casual and what I send as a jokey message in WhatsApp group texts to some friends.

If I want to say that to someone at work for real, I can envisage there will be a full stop used. I will be wielding that full stop in the same way I would bang a door.

murasaki · 07/09/2025 23:21

GleisZwei · 07/09/2025 23:19

Right, but that's not what it means.

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Quite agree, if it did, the thread would have stopped after the full stop in post one, but here we are having a discussion.

HevenlyMeS · 07/09/2025 23:21

I'm not completely disagreeing-My point was, that it depends on an individual's typical writing style, in concerns with, whether or not, they're being passive aggressive!
Yes, sometimes it can be so-Again it truly depends on the punctuation that is typical, or the norm, for them! That was the whole subject, not whether punctuation is important! Just, can it sometimes be used, when some, individuals, are being passive aggressive?!
I shared an experience, where the answer was yes! You haven't experienced or known the individual, I'm referring to!

Hillsmakeyoustrong · 07/09/2025 23:21

This reminds me when clapping was also seen as violating so some people now do the clicky fingers instead 😂.

Mental.

ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea · 07/09/2025 23:22

So if I understand the article correctly, this only applies to text / WhatsApp between friends / family and not to formal communication. Also it’s not saying you can still use punctuation within a sentence, just not the final full stop at the end of your text .

Ive just looked through some of my chats and it’s true that most people don’t put them at the end of their messages, unless it’s a long message, and even then it tends to be either ?, !, 🤣 or x at the end. I’d never heard of this before this thread, but in practice it seems to be how most people communicate informally . I don’t actually see it as a big deal. As others have said, text speak initially took all the vowels out. As long as people recognise what is appropriate for formal communication, and I would consider email as formal.

NotAhotWeatherPerson · 07/09/2025 23:22

Hillsmakeyoustrong · 07/09/2025 23:21

This reminds me when clapping was also seen as violating so some people now do the clicky fingers instead 😂.

Mental.

I haven't heard of that one. Amazing the ways you can inadvertently offend people these days.

GleisZwei · 07/09/2025 23:23

murasaki · 07/09/2025 23:21

Quite agree, if it did, the thread would have stopped after the full stop in post one, but here we are having a discussion.

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We're not discussing if it means something passive aggressive though, we're discussing that it's ridiculous to think that or react to it in some way. 😂