When you push things off, you create a “long no.”
What is a long no? Instead of being upfront and saying “no,” (short) you delay the inevitable by using half answers or “maybe,” (long).
Say you want to find a gym, and you have a buddy that wants to refer you to his favorite one. You know the gym is out of the way for you and doesn’t have a heavy bag (you want to work out some frustration!). Instead of saying no, “This gym doesn’t suit me,” you tell him “Let me get back to you” or “I’ll keep it in mind.”
And now you deal with that decision until he forgets or you can tell him you found it (or lie about it).
It’s wasted energy.
A short “no” short circuits al of that and allows either party to reframe into something that matters.
He might know something that fits your specifications if you ask.