Why Your Brain Notices What’s Wrong BEFORE It Notices What’s Right

Why the Mind Gives More Weight to Negative Experiences 

 Things might be going great in your day. Several compliments, an important task done, and a nice conversation and a quiet evening may be yours. But one piece of negative feedback can remain in your mind for hours. 

 Why does that occur? 

 It doesn’t always have to be a lack of sensitivity or even a lack of optimism. Positive experiences are less noticeable in the human brain than potential problems. Psychologists call this the negativity bias and it is very similar to the tendency. 

 Your Brain Is Designed to Detect Threats 

 From an evolutionary point of view, it was beneficial to be alert to danger in a timely fashion. Our ancestors had to be vigilant against predators, unusual noises, injuries, conflict, and changes in their environment. 

 There was no harm in missing a beautiful sunset. A missed opportunity in the case of a threat could be fatal. While modern life is quite different, the brain has this ancient priority system. Several mundane positive experiences can then be overlooked in favor of a critical email, an awkward conversation or a worrisome thought. 

 One Negative Comment Can Outweigh Several Compliments 

 Suppose you get 10 praises on your work and one person responds, “You could have done it better. You may recall the complaints as you drift off to sleep. 

 That’s the negativity bias in everyday life. Negative information can appear to be more emotionally relevant, getting us to analyse it over and over again: 

 “What did they say?” 

“Am I wrong?” 

What if everybody else thinks that?” 

 Meanwhile, the compliments may quietly disappear from attention. 

 Social Media Can Make the Effect Stronger 

 Today’s technology provides the brain with nearly limitless opportunities to pay attention. A post on a social media platform can get hundreds of likes and just one negative comment. But one of those comments can send a negative vibe throughout the entire post. 

 This can happen in online reviews, at the workplace in messages and group discussions. Platforms designed to be constantly engaging have the potential to inadvertently capture our attention to negative, controversial or alarming information. 

 The Brain Can Also Turn Small Stories into Big Stories 

 It’s not just about catching on to a negative. It is what happens afterwards. The brain can start replaying the unpleasant event, looking for reasons and consequences of what might happen in the future. A little error can grow to be: 

 “I made a mistake.” 

 Then: 

 “Perhaps I’m not cut out for this.” 

 And eventually: 

 Maybe, I’ll always get it wrong.” 

 The actual event might have only lasted a few minutes, but the mental replay can last for hours.  

 This Doesn’t Mean You Should Ignore Problems 

 Positive thinking is not avoiding noticing problems. ⁸It is helpful to notice problems. It assists us in making corrective actions, in safeguarding ourselves and in making appropriate decisions. The idea is not to get rid of the negative thoughts, but to not allow them to take more importance than they should. 

 If it’s something that needs to be done, do it. After the thought is dealt with, you don’t have to continue to punish yourself with it. 

 Train Your Attention to Notice the Good 

 The good news is that attention can be trained. In the end, intentionally bring to mind three positive things that happened. They don’t have to be big accomplishments. A productive hour, a good meal, a kind conversation or simply having a peaceful moment can count. 

 If a positive occurs, stop for a couple of seconds, rather than continuing immediately. Try it out and see for yourself. Another simple question to ask yourself when one bad thing is consuming your mind is: What other events did you witness today? The question can be used to expand the brain’s scope of attention. 

 The Pattern Can Be Changed by Awareness 

 Everyone’s mind has a tendency to focus on the negative, but you don’t have to let every negative thought you have take hold. Knowing about the negativity bias can give you a little room between your mind’s perception and your beliefs. 

 The aim isn’t to become unrealistically positive. It is to have a more balanced perspective, one which recognizes that problems need to be addressed when they arise, but a good experience should not be rendered invisible. Sometimes the issue isn’t that there isn’t enough good in our lives. It’s just that our brains are louder when it comes to the negative.