I was recently reading an article about overcoming negativity in the workplace. One of the things the author mentioned avoiding was the types of people who are committed to pessimism. The defining characteristic of this type of person was this: “They always view the glass as half empty. They are chronic naysayers, and they are an occupational hazard…”.

I have frequent conversations with a friend of mine and, more times than not, she calls me a downer and says I am forever judging. A few times, I’d spoken with my mother (my moral compass) and my husband (the scary equivalent of me as a man) to ask what they thought about this label. While both agreed I can be very judgmental - something I was apparently born with if you ask my mother - they both disagreed with the downer portion of the comment. What about pessimistic, I asked? I am fully aware I am a glass-half-empty kind of gal. Both said they, too, had been called this very thing at some point in their lives, and couldn’t understand its meaning when the truth was they were not pessimistic. They were REAListic. And there was a difference I should examine to determine if I, too, fall into this category.

Telling someone the truth most commonly ends with that person calling you a killjoy, bubble buster, or downer. While I’m not saying this was the case with my friend, I do find it happens quite a bit with me. It is also common to find these same people, these truth-tellers or realists, have a very easy time dishing it. Can they take it? Well, now, you’re asking a bit much. I’ve had friends tell me they’d rather I walk around with some inappropriate booger on my face or brocolli floret wedged between my teeth before they’d tell me the truth. Because the truth, you see, is a face melting experience. And who wants to walk around with a puddle of face for telling the truth? Besides, face melting should be reserved for Rock n’ Roll, my friend.

You have to know your audience before making that type of commitment… or jumping out in front of that bus, whatever the case may be.