Author:
“The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences, but Teflon for positive ones” (Hanson, n.d.,p. 1). Hanson (n.d.) further added that this casts a growing negative shadow over your “implicit memory,” which is made up of your fundamental standards, opinions, action plans, and state of mind. And which is just unfair, provided that the majority of the events in your life are probably either neutral or positive. I find this quote quite relatable and catchy. I resonate with the fact that negative experiences have more impact over human brain than positive ones. More often negative experiences are recalled in greater detail and with greater clarity. I believe this is because negative information is encoded more strongly and with greater attention in the brain, making these memories more memorable and impactful. This is valid for me too. Usually, I overanalyze unexpected, undesirable events and come to extreme conclusions while ignoring the positive things that happened that day and my many blessings. My professional performance, interpersonal relationships, and general mental health are all frequently impacted by this bias.
Rozin & Royzman (2001) mentioned that the tendency to interpret negative stimuli as more complex and distinct than their corresponding positive stimuli is a manifestation of negativity bias. They added that negative experiences are highly contagious which may be reflected in the way the brain and body interpret unfavourable experiences.
To counteract this issue, I opine to say that that one should acknowledge the potential of negative biases. Moore (2019) suggested that to overcome the negativity bias’s potential, we must first understand how it operates. By developing excellent communication skills and self-awareness, we can begin to see the good in everyone and everything around us. I can cultivate stronger, more resilient relationships with greater positivity, understanding, and effective communication by putting my understanding of the negativity bias into practice. Empathy can grow when one realizes that other people are biased negatively as well. Reacting with greater patience and compassion can be facilitated by realizing that one’s own bias may amplify other people’s negative feelings.
References
Hanson, R. (n.d.). Taking in the Good vs. the Negativity Bias. San Francisco State University.
https://www.sfsu.edu/~holistic/documents/Spring_2014/GoodvsNeg_Bias.pdf
Moore, C. (2019). What is negativity bias and how it can be overcome? Positive Psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/3-steps-negativity-bias/#:~:text=Recognizing%20how%20the%20negativity%20bias,and%20the%20people%20around%20us
Rozin, P., & Royzman, E. B. (2001). Negativity Bias, Negativity Dominance, and Contagion. Personality & Social Psychology Review (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates), 5(4), 296–320. https://doi-org.ezproxy.tru.ca/10.1207/S15327957PSPR0504_2
It’s amazing how much of an influence Hanson’s and research’s findings about the brain’s bias towards negative experiences have on how we live every day. The idea of “negativity bias” clarifies why unpleasant events typically leave a greater impact on our recollections and feelings. Recognising and analysing this bias creates space for opposing its effects, which in turn leads to more resilient and balanced views on relationships and life in general.
I have noticed that as humans we often remember and dwell on bad stuffs more than good stuff. For instance, when you remember one mean comment someone made about you during the day and keep reminiscing about it instead of thinking about the many nice ones. This particularly applys to me, I bother so much about negative things and it most times affects the people around me. Now I see how important it is to try and see the good in things even when it seems bad because our actions can also affect the people close to us.
Excellent discussion on the negativity bias. This awareness that we focus on the negative can actually change the way we think of negative events. The neurons that fire together wire together; therefore, if we consciously think of the positive aspects of our lives, we can change our brain to think more positively. We need to wire the neurons together that focus on generosity, compassion, and gratitude rather than the negative.