This study just proved how true this old (and popular) saying really is

This study just proved how true this old (and popular) saying really is This study just proved how true this old (and popular) saying really is When receiving bad news, people are actually going to shoot the messenger, according to a new study.The Harvard Business Review conducted several different experiments testing peoples tolerance to bad news. Regardless of the situation, the study found that people were unhappy with the person delivering bad news despite the bearer not having any direct influence on the decision.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!One test involved receiving news from a doctor regarding biopsy results. Whether it’s an annual checkup or a visit for a sore throat, doctors tend to be the punching bag regardless of the outcome. Researchers told participants their skin biopsy results and found that participants who were told they have cancer not only disliked the doctor more than those who received better news, but also thought the doctor had wished that they were sick.It’s rough out there for mes sengersAnother instance involved a $2 game of chance, where one person selected a name from a hat while a different person delivered the results to the participant. The study concluded that those who lost liked the messenger much less than those who had won.No matter how bad news is delivered or shaped, there’s little to do to save the messenger.Interventions aimed at discouraging shooting the messenger were found “unlikely to be fruitful.” However, messengers can try sugarcoating the bad news with something positive first to lessen the blow. For instance, wishing the recipient luck or hoping for the best before delivering the negative news can result in the person to take the criticism more seriously and lessen the blow from the messenger.You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people