Okay, can we briefly discuss this meme I am about to share? Alright, here it is…

I used to do this all the time.

The dude pictured used to be me. Well, not physically, but in terms of my behavior. I used to have a strict “don’t recognize the number, don’t answer it” policy. But just because I didn’t answer it didn’t mean I wasn’t intensely curious about who was calling me. Before my incoming call had even stopped ringing I was Googling it. Most of the time my search would confirm that it was a telemarketer but other times it would identify an actual person or business behind the mysterious telephone number.

These days I can’t afford to employ such a scaredy cat tactic. If my phone rings and a 10 digit number shows up on my screen as opposed to one of the very few names of people who actually call me, I am answering it promptly in my nicest “Hello, this is Brent” voice. I have kids now and you never know if the strange number is going to fill you in on some important information relating to them.

However, there will be times when I am tied up on a Zoom call or at the dentist’s office and a number I don’t recognize will come through. Because basic etiquette prevents me from picking it up, I get to return to my days of guessing who the caller might be before typing the number in Google. It is fun and interesting all at the same time.

If you are uncomfortable about answering a call and you face no implications by letting it ring, by all means let it go to voicemail. It is just another small way that you can seize control of your life while playing a nice guessing game at the same time. Do you answer calls that you don’t know? Don’t Blink.