My roommate and close friend of about 3 years has gotten more and more negative over the years. He has been through a lot in his life and I can't say necessarily that his negativity/pessimism is unwarranted.
The problem is that he's becoming increasingly difficult to hold a conversation with him, and my patience is beginning to wear thin. Every time I bring something up these days his response is something negative about his life, the government, or the world.
I am not against being realistic or even being negative from time to time, after all no one can be expected to be in a good mood 24/7, however it's been happening every time we talk, and it makes me angry sometimes. I just want to have at least one conversation that is actually interesting and that isn't dead in the water with his first response.
I've resorted to avoiding him by staying in my room alone which isn't good for either of us. I want to stay friends/roommates with him, but I don't think I can take much more unless something changes. I can feel his attitude changing me despite my best efforts and I honestly hate that.
I want to have an honest conversation about this with him. How do I tell him I am losing my patience and energy with him without hurting his already delicate mental state?
How can I effectively approach this dialogue?