# Do you want the good news or the bad news first? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 18, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-the-good-news-or-the-bad-news-first/613255 "2012-02-18T17:37:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-the-good-news-or-the-bad-news-first/613255/1 "2012-02-18T17:37:54Z")
I’m pretty sure I know how this is going to turn out but I’m bored so I’ll ask anyways: I’ve got good news and bad news. What do you want to hear first? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-the-good-news-or-the-bad-news-first/613255/2 "2012-02-18T18:17:08Z")
Gotta be the bad news first. How can you enjoy the good news if you’re wondering what the bad news is going to be? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-the-good-news-or-the-bad-news-first/613255/3 "2012-02-18T22:57:01Z")
Doctor: I’ve got good news and bad news. Patient: What’s the good news? Doctor: You only have 24 hours to live. Patient: WTF?? What’s the bad news? Doctor: I forgot to call you yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-the-good-news-or-the-bad-news-first/613255/4 "2012-02-18T23:54:14Z")
I once got a message from my dad telling me that my mom and sisters had been in a car accident. It was quite a lengthy message, describing in great details all of the circumstance, what had happened, how it happened, and everything. It wasn’t until the very last line that he mentioned that everyone was OK. So…good news first. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-the-good-news-or-the-bad-news-first/613255/5 "2012-02-19T05:56:18Z")
Between my time as a team lead at work, and my past time as a volleyball coach, I tend to focus on fixing problems. If I hear the bad news, I start to figure out how to deal with it. I won’t appreciate the good news. So give me the good news first. I’ll celebrate briefly, and then get on with reality. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-the-good-news-or-the-bad-news-first/613255/6 "2012-02-19T06:02:09Z")
My option is not listed. I would prefer to be lied to by experts. And then slapped in the face by reality at the last possible moment. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-the-good-news-or-the-bad-news-first/613255/7 "2012-02-19T12:17:58Z")
Always want bad news first. If I’m told there’s bad news, but I have to wait through the good news first, my brain will be flitting nonstop on the possible bad-news-options until I hear it. I’ll hardly hear the good news through my anxious doom-and-glooming, and I won’t care about it until the bad news is out of the way anyway. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-the-good-news-or-the-bad-news-first/613255/8 "2012-02-19T12:22:01Z")
It depends. Which one’s the punchline? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-the-good-news-or-the-bad-news-first/613255/9 "2012-02-19T21:58:40Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > So give me the good news first. I’ll celebrate briefly, and then get on with reality. Right. Bad news means I have to put on my Problem Solving Woman costume.