Earned crankiness
When an adult chooses to be cranky, it’s much juicier when it’s accompanied by a feeling of entitlement.
If we know that we deserve the chance to be angry and disappointed, that we’ve earned it, then we can explore the feeling with vigor. No need to worry about whether we’re being self-indulgent, we can go full throttle because it’s our due.
Not only is this an effective way to alienate those around us, but it’s also based on the false assumption that it’s possible to have earned the right to be cranky.
Crankiness isn’t a feature. It’s a bug.