i'm usually quiet for a little while with both. it takes me a minute to pick out my feelings from all the feelings which may be swirling around the room. and then a minute to find any words or expression for them. i'm kind of underwhelming in my response (whether grief or joy) as it all takes awhile to unravel from within. i may have the "initial" feelings over the course of days.
re:bad news. i recently got bad medical news from my doctor. she called me. it took me about 30 minutes to call anyone afterward because i was trying to think of a way to say it to someone else---and felt protective of the other people's feelings. so i was more matter-of-fact on the phone and comforting. three days later i saw one of my longest time friends in person and when he said hello and hugged me i just started crying. it was like the reality of the feeling just happened right then.
Externally I react pretty neutrally. I will let out certain emotions as they are deemed fit for the situation, or to convey what I feel needs to be conveyed. I generally do not like reacting much that people can visablly see. When I am alone I will react more.
Internally, I usually react very strongly, and it can be very exciting elating if it is positive news, or very toxic and painful if it is negitive.
Sometimes I react to good new and bad news just as badly if either involves things changing in my life. I do not like surprises. Well, I can handle little good ones XD.
with bad news i can feel fine at first, but later it sort of hits me and i all of a sudden breakdown in tears. it's quite unnerving, because i'll be sitting there, wondering why i'm crying, like it isn't happening to me..
good news makes me giddy and excited and wanting to share it with everyone
For me it depends... some minor bad news, I'm not so good with... and then a lot of stuff doesn't bother me at all. Sometimes, I don't even know how I'll react to something until it actually happens. I certainly don't expect anyone else to figure me out.
With major bad news, I have an tendency to react in a way that has been described to me as "weirdly calm and collected". In other words, if you rear end me at 60 mph, I'll be the one checking on you & making sure everyone's ok while handling the phone calls and telling the EMTs that I'm fine (even if I'm not). Later, when I'm alone (or internally) is where the "reacting" takes place.
Also, I react very differently to other people's new than to my own. Regardless of whether or not it shows, I tend to care more, or at least feel it more and sooner. I recently found myself actually crying about something sad that happened on a tv show I wasn't even paying attention to. I'm not sure wtf that one's all about... lol