Dear Chip,

I always seem so moody. Not like be sad and grumpy, just being short with people on accident. Lots of “I guess” and “ok?”. I don’t do it on purpose, it just happens. I don’t want someone to take offense to it and be mad at me. Is there anything I can do?

Sincerely,

Confused Child

Dear Confused Child,

If you want people to understand you, the best thing you can do is figure out why you’re acting this way. I do the same thing, and it usually comes from the fact that I hold my emotions in until I’m on the verge of a breakdown. Once you understand why you feel that way, it will be much easier to address your actions. You may just be overthinking it, too.

Most people don’t pick apart other’s words. They’re too busy conjuring their own thoughts to worry about if you had an unusual inflection over your Y’s today. If you think you sound mad, just ask someone. There’s a high chance they didn’t notice.

Sincerely,

Chip