A common frustration for busy professionals: rereading an email before sending it, sometimes multiple times. A June 2025 analysis highlighted by VegOut Magazine reveals eight personality traits that influence this habit. For Thai workers in service, finance, education, and public communication, understanding these traits can boost productivity, workplace harmony, and well-being.
Rereading emails is often pegged as perfectionism, but psychology suggests a richer picture. Interviews with communication experts and researchers point to a blend of traits shaping this behavior. The eight traits are high personal standards, conscientiousness, empathy, social anxiety, respect for others’ time, a sense of professionalism, risk aversion, and deliberate self-reflection. When managed well, these tendencies can become valuable strengths rather than hindrances.
In Thailand, where workplace hierarchies and the value of kreng jai (careful politeness) matter, careful wording carries extra weight. A single unclear sentence can lead to misunderstandings, reputational damage, or embarrassment, making precise written communication highly prized. The rapid pace of digital work—from multinational banks to startups—amplifies the importance of clear, thoughtful emails.
High personal standards. Self-imposed perfectionism drives meticulous editing, because people want to avoid careless mistakes. In Thai workplaces, reflecting the value placed on keeping promises and face, even routine messages may become carefully crafted mini-projects.
Conscientiousness. Known as a core trait in the Big Five, high conscientiousness relates to accuracy and reliability. Those who score high in this trait check deadlines, ensure clear instructions, and minimize ambiguity, even if it requires extra time.
Empathy. People who imagine how a recipient will react tend to have strong affective empathy. Clear is kind, a philosophy echoed in Thai culture that values harmony. Rereading aims to prevent friction and maintain a respectful, soft tone in feedback or delicate discussions.
Social anxiety. Fear of negative judgment leads to longer preparation of messages. In Thai customer-facing roles, there is often concern about appearing careless or unprofessional in English-language emails and formal communications.
Respect for recipients’ time. Efficient communicators try to convey ideas succinctly. In Thai business practice, stripping unnecessary details and presenting actionable points helps colleagues process messages quickly, even if it requires extra effort.
Professionalism. Careful checks on jargon, tone, and appropriateness signal credibility and trust. In Thai corporate culture, where status markers matter, polished writing can leave a lasting impression.
Risk aversion. Imagining potential fallout from a vague message encourages extra review. In high-stakes Thai organizations, this caution helps prevent small errors from becoming larger problems.
Self-reflection. Email reviews can become opportunities for learning and growth. Mindful observation of one’s thought process supports ongoing improvement in language and etiquette.
Experts acknowledge both benefits and limits. Meticulous revision can build trust and reduce misunderstandings, but overdoing it may slow work. As digital communication rises in Thailand, many advise setting practical limits—for example, a three-pass rule for routine messages and reserving extra scrutiny for high-risk communications.
Educationally, these insights can guide Thai teachers and employers in developing balanced communication strategies. Integrating digital communication training into curricula and professional development helps reduce anxiety and fosters healthier writing habits.
Kreng jai shapes how Thais approach written exchanges. The culture of politeness and deference can intensify carefulness in emails, a dynamic supported by research into Thai organizational behavior. As remote and hybrid work expands, clear, emotionally intelligent communication will be even more essential in Thai organizations.
Practical takeaways for Thai readers:
- Recognize when “email perfectionism” serves productivity versus when it hinders progress.
- Use systems like templates, checklists, and scheduled reviews to streamline routine writing.
- Build mindfulness around communication-related anxiety.
- Create a supportive workplace where occasional errors are treated as learning opportunities.
If you see yourself in these traits, celebrate diligence, empathy, and professionalism, but avoid letting the quest for flawless emails stall progress. As digital communication becomes integral to Thai education, business, and daily life, balancing polish with pragmatism remains a hallmark of effective 21st-century leadership.