The hatred and viciousness we fear from colleagues, friends or social media is only a proxy for what we once received from sources close to home — and which we have lacked the support required to return back to their senders.
A simple " thank you" let the sender know that their email has arrived safely, that it has not been lost among what could be 50 other emails that have arrived in your email inbox that day.
A recent study by Laura Giurge of London Business School and Vanessa Bohns of Cornell University found that receivers of an email routinely overestimate how quickly its sender expects a reply.
Not only does it help you, the sender, come across as more capable by showcasing strong communication skills, but also saves the reader so much of their time by only servicing information relevant to them.
The relief of course was the result of his partial success in distorting the information, but despite distortions the sender came through, and the sex of the person whose death was unfortunately perceived.