Bad Moods and Communication

Ever been around someone who is grumpy or in a bad mood? I have and it is not fun. They are often irritable, quick to criticize, rude and just plain unpleasant. But here is one more thing persons in bad moods are, at least according to a recent study: effective communicators. Back in 2010, "Emotion" magazine published a study in which pessimism was found to have its benefits. Specifically, persons in a foul mood were found to have a more effective communication style than those feeling more upbeat or optimistic. On the surface, this is a surprise as I automatically assumed optimists were the effective communicators. But upon further reflection, such a finding makes sense.

Persons in a bad mood may be quick to criticize but they seem to have little difficulty getting their point of view across. Their path is straight-forward and direct. When talking, they rarely have time for niceties or introducing other perspectives into their messages. Upbeat folks sure do, however. Those on the receiving end of a negative person's message seem to rarely misunderstand what is being said to them. But on the other hand, upbeat persons generally are more indirect in what they try to say. In other words, they are less direct and therefore more prone to be misunderstood. Thus, perhaps being optimistic may not always be all that it is cracked upp to be.

So, should we all start taking grumpy pills or getting up on the wrong side of the bed? Heck no. Being pleasant is a lot better than being unpleasant. What we can do is learn from those who are in a bad mood - at least when it comes to communication. Focus on putting forth clear and precise messages. Keep what is said simple and less complex. Be respectful but maintain a loyalty to the message being communicated. Apparently, this is not much of a challenge to folks in a bad mood. There is no reason optimists can not do the same. Plus, all of us much prefer connecting with persons who are upbeat.