“But I really am excited” — enthusiasm or too much?

At Jonas’s desk, Jonas gives Olek a repetitive data-cleaning task.

— Great! This is a really good chance to understand the whole system better.
— It’s literally cleaning a table.

Olek shows strong enthusiasm to communicate commitment. The more Jonas hears it, the more he wonders whether it is genuine.

What really happened

Olek expresses enthusiasm strongly because he wants to make it clear that he cares, appreciates the opportunity and is engaged. Jonas responds more cautiously because very intense expression can remind him of deliberate impression management. Olek can be completely sincere while Jonas still experiences his style as “too much”. The issue is not whether the enthusiasm is real. It is the level of emotional expression each person considers credible and professional.

What the research says

Research suggests that expressing passion and energy can increase status, support and career opportunities because observers interpret it as commitment (Jachimowicz et al., 2019). At the same time, the benefit depends on context; expression that feels excessive or poorly matched to the situation can be interpreted as inauthentic or strategically performative—a question often discussed through impression management. Research on emotional display at work also shows that the same smile or enthusiasm may reflect genuine feeling or adaptation to role expectations. Observers do not have direct access to intent, so they judge it partly through the expressive style they themselves consider natural.

How to handle it

Olek does not need to become emotionally flat to suit Jonas. He can, however, notice whether his expressiveness helps communicate the point or starts to overshadow it. Jonas should separate “this is not my style” from “this must be fake”. In important situations, the strongest evidence of motivation is what follows: preparation, reliability and quality. The general rule: expression is only a signal of engagement. Its credibility is best tested by whether action follows the energy.

How Empatyzer and Em can help

Empatyzer can help Olek and Jonas see that intensity of expression is not a reliable measure of authenticity. Personality profiles may show greater enthusiasm and expressiveness in one person and more restraint in another; Culture-8 can add context around norms of emotional display. Em can prompt Jonas to evaluate Olek’s commitment through behavior, preparation and delivery rather than whether his energy feels “too much”. It can also suggest that Olek move quickly from enthusiasm to specifics when speaking to a more restrained colleague. Micro-lessons help both sides remember that visible emotion is not automatically theatre, and a calm face is not automatically lack of engagement.