TRANSFORM THE WAY YOU THINK BY BECOMING AWARE OF THE NEGATIVITY BIAS
Have you ever realized that the negative affects you more than the positive?
This is known as the negativity bias.
Negativity bias is a human psychological tendency to give more weight to negative experiences than to positive ones.
This means that unpleasant or threatening events have a stronger impact on our emotions, thoughts and behavior than pleasant or reassuring ones. Humans will always tend to remember the negative more than the positive.
For example, a criticism can be remembered longer and affect our morale more than a compliment.
This bias can influence our decisions, our perception of the world and our social interactions, making us more alert to potential dangers and problems, often to the detriment of our overall well-being. Understanding this bias allows us to better balance our perspectives and cultivate a more positive, resilient attitude.
TIPS TO AVOID NEGATIVITY BIAS
CHANGE YOUR WAY OF SEEING THINGS
You’ve heard phrases like “you should have done that” or
“it’s going to be complicated”.
These phrases reflect what negativity bias can do.
A negative experience!
We’re more likely to remember the negative than the positive – it’s a shame, but it’s human!
However, failure to take this psychological bias into account can jeopardize your relationships with others.
Replace these sentences with :
- “Thank you for taking the initiative to…”
- “It would have been a pleasure to accompany you, but I won’t be available. I suggest we do this another time!”
- “I don’t have the ability or energy to go to our appointment, would you mind postponing until tomorrow?”
We start from a negative premise, and then convey a positive emotion!
