Punish someone for telling you the truth once and you’ll only hear good news forever. That’s how ships sink.

Bad news reaches you only if it is safe to deliver. One sharp reaction teaches everyone watching what happens to messengers, and after that you receive a filtered version of reality assembled by people protecting themselves. The danger is not the unpleasant information; it is the smooth reports that keep arriving while the actual problem grows.

Think about how you reacted the last time someone brought you something you did not want to hear. If it was not gracious, go back and say so. Then thank the next person out loud, even when the news is genuinely unwelcome.