When the British reach an agreement, a great deal of what is actually committed to lives beneath the surface of what is explicitly stated. The formal terms matter, but the real substance often resides in what both parties understand without saying it directly.
This means you need to pay attention not just to what is said but to the context, the tone, and the relationship history that inform the commitment. The British expect their counterparts to grasp the full picture — including the unspoken parts — and may view someone who insists on spelling everything out as either unsophisticated or untrustworthy. If something seems vague, it may not be vague to them at all. It may be perfectly clear within their frame of reference.
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