Emotions and Inner Life
Why can speech become emotional when I am simply tired?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Fatigue can reduce patience. You may only want to finish explaining, without noticing your tone. To the listener, it may sound accusatory or even threatening.
I knew an overnight convenience-store clerk who sometimes chatted happily and sometimes looked displeased, leaving me wondering what had happened. Later, I considered that the person might simply be tired that day. Different energy and stamina can change the same person’s speech and treatment of others. An unpleasant remark may therefore warrant understanding their circumstances further.
Apply this to yourself too. Recognize that tiredness and irritation make emotional speech more likely. Do not wait until words have hurt someone to realize you were venting discomfort onto others.
When noticing a poor mood, find something that brings happiness and try changing perspective and adjusting. Seeing your condition first creates an opportunity to notice tone before speaking.