You say the thing everyone else is thinking but won't.
You don't do diplomatic non-answers. When someone asks if the situation is bad, you tell them the situation is bad. You're not harsh about it — you're honest, which is a completely different thing that most people get wrong. The people who can handle you love you for it. The people who can't usually come back later and admit you were right. You've probably been called 'a lot' by someone who needed you to be less. The Eye's read: that someone was not your person. Your green flag is the version of honesty that still asks 'are you okay?' after it tells the truth.
Get your read — free on iPhoneyou don't soften things that shouldn't be softened. people find that annoying until they need it.