Trying to find someone worthwhile in the era of hook-up culture and dating apps can be an uphill battle. Suddenly, the bare minimum becomes a near-unattainable goal, and women are left scrambling for crumbs. One such goal is the low-effort act of texting someone back. Once an expectation, it has now become a litmus test for whether a man is a “green flag” or “red flag.”
One woman says this test distinguishes something more, however: success.
In a viral clip, TikToker Mercedes (@babybenz624) says she can always tell the difference between a “successful” man and one who isn’t.
“Every successful, well-off man that I’ve ever talked to has gotten back to me extremely fast,” she begins. “I’m talking about usually within minutes, seconds.”
Contrastingly, she says men who “never had anything going for them” can never find the time to reply to her messages.
She concludes her message by telling her viewers, “If they’re taking forever to text back, leave them where they’re at, please.”
Mercedes believes that even if someone successful is busy, they’ll find the time to text you back if they care about you.
Did Viewers Agree?
While Mercedes’ clip earned a modest 15,000 views, men came from the woodwork to prove her wrong—or right.
Many of the comments were from self-proclaimed successful men sharing their own perspectives.
“That’s because successful men don’t like to waste time on closing the deals,” one man wrote. “We manage relationships like business. We want something we go get it. No games no confusion just clarity in intentions.”
Another echoed, “Thats because we don’t like to waste time. We know what it feels like be left on read. Its not that we are desperate like everyone says. Its about being respectful….”
A third user wrote that successful men have “no issue prioritizing.”
Still, like clockwork, a handful of others tried to turn the tables on women.
“I wish women would match the same energy,” one said. “No matter how busy I am, I make time and prioritize.”
Another quipped, “Does this work with women also? It’s rare that women get back to you in the same week… let alone minutes.”
Do Successful Men Really Reply Faster?
There doesn’t seem to be scientific evidence to suggest that one’s success is linked to texting back in a timely manner. Especially because “success” is subjective and does not necessarily refer to wealth exclusively. Success can look different for everyone. However, several have come forward with their own personal anecdotes that prove Mercedes’ PSA. In a podcast clip posted to YouTube, a man claims that the most successful people—like billionaires such as Jeff Bezos—respond to emails instantly.
A user on LinkedIn claimed the same in a post published in 2023. A Threads post even went viral this year, where the user claimed that the most successful people he knows reply to texts immediately.
Many speculated as to the reason why they found this to be true. Some claimed these billionaires had assistants to reply to texts and messages immediately, while others thought their quick responses were proof of being organized and efficient, all qualities of a successful person.
Speed In Texting And Emotional Connection
While there hasn’t been much research on the subject, there have been studies done in correlation to fast-repliers and emotional intelligence.
In a case study conducted by the University of Princeton, results revealed that “speed in response” resulted in a deeper connection.
“Conversations with faster response times were perceived as more connected than the same conversations with slower response times,” it stated. “Together, these findings suggest that response times comprise a robust and sufficient signal of whether two minds ‘click.’”
BroBible reached out to Mercedes via Instagram direct message.