BAD NEWS:

The top of the tone scale tells us that the upscale person doesn’t absorb and relay all the bad news. He cuts such communication lines. There are many ways to do this and it will serve us well to use them.
If the newspaper makes you believe there’s no hope for the world, quit reading it. If a book is depressing (who cares how artistic it’s supposed to be?) throw it in the fireplace; it’ll help the kindling along. Find high-scale entertainment. It can bring back a chuckle or a flow of warmth for a long time afterward.
When you’re talking with someone and the conversation drops low, change the subject. Cut that communication line.
If certain people insist on giving you nothing but bad news, lies, gossip, arguments, criticism, hopelessness or covert barbs, stop associating with them. If you wouldn’t tolerate people dumping their trash in the middle of your living room, why let them empty their mental trash cans in your mind?
I was at a party when a woman inquired about my religion. She smiled slyly as she asked: "Oh, are you a convert?"
She leaned so heavily on the last word that I could see she anticipated doing some covert sniping. I decided to cut this communication immediately. Abruptly and firmly I said, "I don’t even know the meaning of the word."
I turned away from her and started talking with the others at the table. She didn’t speak again and, strangely, none of the other people at our table of six spoke to her. The rest of us carried on an easy, laughing conversation.
Later one of the men said to me: "I don’t know how you managed to shut Nancy up so effectively; but I’m glad you did. It’s the first time I ever enjoyed myself when she was around."
This may seem cruel treatment if you’re programmed to preserve social graces no matter what. It is actually more cruel to everyone when you permit a 1.1 to direct and control the communication. It always goes down.