An acquaintance I hadn’t spoken to in a long time called me out of the blue yesterday, and, quite frankly, when I heard his voice, it made me wince. As soon as he started talking, it reminded me of why I have avoided contact with him for so long. Everything that came out of his mouth was negative.

If a person’s objective is to reduce the number and quality of relationships in his life, a surefire way to accomplish that end is to develop a reputation as the perpetual bearer of bad tidings. It’s one thing to occasionally discuss problems with friends and acquaintances, but quite another to overwhelm them with your troubles.

Kumbaya is a wonderful abstraction, but, in real life, the reality is that folks have an aversion to other people’s problems. And with good reason: They have enough of their own! That’s why most people will go out of their way to avoid the company of those who walk around with a black cloud hanging over their brain.

Definitely worth thinking about.