Dear Eric: If someone keeps getting party invitations from someone they would rather not associate with frequently, and occasionally accepts having run out of excuses, is one obligated to reciprocate if one really doesn’t want to? Should one simply decline without reasons?

– Don’t Want to Be a Guest

Dear Guest: One of my favorite excuses for not doing something is “I prefer not to,” Bartleby the Scrivener-style. You don’t have to share this with the party host, of course. But “no, thank you” is a complete sentence.

You may want to have a conversation about your relationship, especially if you don’t want to be around them. But if it’s going to cause more trouble than it’s worth, just decline.

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Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.