Flake.

Today's big "Fuck You" goes to: flakes. There is literally nothing admirable, endearing, redeeming, or positive about being a flaky piece of shit. It doesn't make you seem high-value. It doesn't make you look mysterious or ultra-important because you lose track of plans or have other things you'd rather do instead of show up for plans, answer a phone call, or respond to a text message. Basically it just makes you look like an irresponsible, unreliable, cowardly, half-assed liar and shithead.

If you don't want to talk to someone, tell them. If you aren't going to show up for plans you made, then communicate that. Don't communicate it by blowing people off avoiding it - own up to your inability to be counted on. Better yet, don't make the plans in the first place if you know you don't want to participate. Ignoring people and then trying to apologize later makes you look like the biggest asshole.

Everyone knows that flaking is a sign that the guilty party is not interested in engaging with whatever party they are blowing off. That is fine. What is NOT fine is avoiding confrontation or alleviating responsibility for your actions by feigning ignorance or absent mindedness. Even worse still is flaking for the reason of trying to keep people in your loop without owning up and telling them you only want them around to use them for whatever selfish one-side reason you don't cut contact with them for.

Flaking is the easiest red flag to spot when a friend isn't really a friend, or when a girl isn't actually interested in you. Flaking is a sign of a cowardice, lack of commitment, lack of responsibility, and disrespect. We've all been there - we've all been ditched, ignored, and flaked on. Don't be that fucking guy.

Do the world and yourself a favor and just stop. All you're doing is pissing people off. Flaking is not conducive to building a good reputation. It's an annoying habit, an awful shit test, and an incredibly poor character trait. You can't expect to keep a job if you never show up, and you can't expect to keep friends if you ignore them.