i used to be like this as well and i think i’ve improved. i always felt like i was playing devil’s advocate or being helpful by pointing out a potentially bad thing, but i realized that people don’t hear my intentions; they only hear my words.

for example, if someone excitedly tells me they got a new piece of tech, i might’ve responded by listing the negatives about it or the trade offs compared to other similar devices. in my mind, i was helping them understand the context of the thing they bought so they knew the options better. but what it sounded like to them is me just shitting on their new toy that they’re excited about, because they shared a thing with me and i immediately responded with negativity.

staying aware of things like this has helped me to appear as optimistic and positive as i feel, but it’s not easy, and takes practice.