Do you not answer questions that make you uncomfortable?

If someone asks you something point blank, and you find them forward, or you just don’t want to answer because the truth might hurt them, do you ignore the question like it was not even asked? If in person maybe you quickly change the subject. If over text or email, maybe you just never reply at all to that question.

Basically, to me, I find this passive aggressive, I also call it “the silent treatment” if it happens a lot.

Someone I know says they are justified in such behavior if the asker should “know better” not to put someone on the spot like that. Or, the asker should take a clue and realize no answer means they don’t want to answer questions like that.

So maybe the asker should realize, but also maybe the other person could just say, “I prefer not to discuss it.”

What do you think about this type of interaction?