Our brains have a huge negativity bias!
Really? Do tell.
Here’s a quote from the article I read:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-hanson-phd/dont-keep-fear-alive-for-_b_746255.html
Evolution has given us
a brain with what scientists call a “negativity bias” that makes it prone to
feeling threatened. This bias developed because the ancient mammals, primates,
and early humans that were all mellow and fearless did not notice the shadow overhead
or slither nearby that CHOMP! killed them. The ones that survived to pass on
their genes were nervous and cranky, and we are their great-grandchildren,
sitting atop the food chain, armed with nuclear weapons. Your brain is
continually looking for bad news. As soon as it finds some, it fixates on it
with tunnel vision, fast-tracks it into memory storage, and then reactivates it
at the least hint of anything even vaguely similar. But good news gets a kind
of neural shrug: “uh, whatever.
**In effect, the brain is like Velcro for
negative experiences but Teflon for positive ones.
Okay, so this mean the negative experiences and emotions get
more attention than positive ones. Well, poo. It sure explains a lot in my
world. I can be having the best day ever
and then Wham! I check my son’s grades, or I read a negative review, or someone
cuts me off in traffic or new puppy chews up another wall. Yep, afterward that’s
all I can think about for the next few hours or longer. But if Negative
emotions take up more space in our brains and make us focus on bad experiences instead
of the good, what are we supposed to do? It’s clear we need to find a way to
balance it all out. But that’s easier said than done, right?
There is no doubt in my mind that the key to happiness and success
in our careers, friendships, and even our marriages relies on our ability to search
out and cling to the positive experiences in our lives verses the negatives
ones.
I sure wish it didn’t take longer to change a bad habit than
it does to create a new good one. LOL
A new resolution for 2013.
Be positive in the face of adversity, preserve when times
are toughest, and resist those who insist it can’t be done!
I CAN do this! J
