Phone etiquette

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Someone I don't recognize just called me. I didn't answer. They didn't leave a message so the impression I get is that either it wasn't important, or it was a wrong number. I won't be calling them back. Unless I am either expecting the call, or I recognize the number I never answer the phone. Also I never answer the door when people come knocking either. I understand that people think it's rude not to answer, but I don't feel any need to. Anyone else do this?

Yes. I don't care if it's rude or not. I don't feel like talking to people unless it's important.

I am the same, .
I do recognize the gait or step of family members or even the way they knock on the door, so I when I recognize, who it is, I just shout "come in", some people in my neighbourhood even pop in without knocking, I find that a bit annoying, but not rude. I know, keeping the door unlocked. but not answering it does not make a lot of sense unless you have a son and his entourage, who keeps popping in and out.

The phone is a different matter.
I simply do not answer any numbers I do not recognize. I put my name down on a list that kind of limits cold calls, works really well.
I was never like that at work ( would have been rather counter productive ... ), but as soon as it comes to my private sphere I only admit 'previously vetted' individuals.
When mobiles became the craze in the 90s and my colleagues and friends urged me to get one, I refused point blank.
Why would I want to be at the beckon and call of everybody at any time???? This way of thinking completely eludes me. I have a mobile in use now, because of my child and for safety reasons, but I could happily live without one.

I get paranoid when people that I don't know call me! I never answer numbers that I don't know! And when the doorbell rings I get very nervous and someone else answers while I hide! When I know it's someone I'm comfortable with I'll come to them! When I'm home alone I stay upstairs because I'm too paranoid that someone will ring the bell or break in!

I always answer, it makes me feel special that someone is calling me.

I have three cell phones, not including my work cell, so I mostly answer only if the caller display shows a name (they are in my contact list). I’ve set them all up on a Telephone Preference Service, so I rarely get calls from people I don’t know. Depending on which phone the person uses I know who or what they are calling about/for, and that allows me to screen the calls or just block them.
Not answering the door, well that is just blood rude.

I am exactly the same. Honestly, I don't even answer the phone half the time even when I recognize the number. If it's important they'll leave a message. As for the front door, depends on who it is.

I quite regularly don't answer the phone. I don't get calls from many people - my parents ring me or I ring them once a day, but it's always around the same time. And very occasionally, my husband will call from work. The only other person that I would want to speak to is my best (and only) friend, but she lives around the corner and is more likely to pop round than to call. The other calls I receive are mainly sales calls. If I pick up and there's any sort of delay in them talking (so it's obvious it's a call centre), I hang up, even if I hear them eventually speaking.

I have fear responses to not answering the phone, it's like getting down stairs before the toilet stops flushing.

I struggle with the actual conversation, though. I rarely remember to ask the person how they are, who they are, why they are calling... which is important, as the phone call is rarely for me.

I always answer the phone as well.

I've learned not to answer the phone if it's an unknown caller, and I do not answer the door.
It scares me a little when they call three times in quick succession though.

I hate phone calls. The low quality of the audio means that I have to concentrate really hard to hear what's being said (I can't filter out the background noise). But the real issue is that I need visual cues to comfortably have a conversation with someone. Text messages are fine, because it gives me a minute to think about the message and decipher it. In person gives me more information to use, because I can note their body language, facial expressions, and so on. A phone conversation manages to catch every disadvantage for both of these things.

I'm always very polite to my phone.