What Is "The Negativity Effect" + How To Overcome It

New year, new you!

How are the resolutions going, by the way? Mine are going well — very manageable so far — and I’ve found my small changes to definitely help create bigger effects as a result. One example is my technology cut off at night, which has freed up some time for me to read. Doug and I subscribe to the Wall Street Journal and it’s been fun to dive into articles old school newspaper style lately. One article that we both found really impactful was, “For The New Year, Say No To Negativity.” Or, all about the negativity effect and how to overcome it.

The title alone lends a notion we could all stand to benefit from, right?! But get this — and many of these facts are ones that gave me “Ah-ha!” moments — negativity is actually hardwired into our brains as humans. Turn out, haters really are gonna hate, and that’s because it’s their nature. Let me explain.

What is The Negativity Effect?

Despite how positive you think you may be, the negativity effect is something we all have. It’s hardwired into us as humans. And you’re only now hearing of it because it’s something that is actually a breakthrough and recent discovery by scientists.

Basically, the negativity effect – sometimes known as a negativity bias – is the universal tendency for bad events and emotions to affect us more strongly than the positive ones. Swing by this article for a fantastic and informative deep dive into how it was discovered, but the TLDR version is that as humans, “We’re devastated by a word of criticism and unmoved by a shower of praise.”

Despite what the storybooks and hero tales may tell us, good actually is not stronger than bad. In fact, it takes four good things to overcome one bad thing. Our minds have an inherent imbalance to be more affected by the bad, which is actually a key part of our evolution. It originated as a useful survival mechanism to pay more attention to threats than good things in life in order to survive. But the reality of today’s world is that what worked for our ancestors isn’t always helpful for us.

Though Bad Overpowers Good, Don’t Worry. It’s Not All…Well, Bad.

There’s a benefit to this bias if you use it correctly, and particularly if you understand your personal tendencies and try to overcome them, good can be a more powerful force in your life. Here are some strategies that the article suggests in regards to the negativity effect. Time for us all to go on a low-bad diet!

Do No Harm

Avoiding bad is actually more important than doing good. Because the “positivity ratio” is that it takes four good things to overcome one bad thing, minimizing the negative is actually a key area to focus on.

Personal note: Of course, doing good is so important. It’s vital, in fact. I don’t think the article is intending to tell us to stop. Good should always be done and, it’s my belief it’ll always prevail! I do think the article is right in noting the importance of this notion in light of the positivity ratio; for many people who sway toward negativity, keeping in mind to do no harm can actually go a long way when you look at a birds-eye view of the world and situations.

Remember The Rule of Four

The shining star takeaway: It takes four good things to overcome one bad thing. Keep this in mind as a general rule of thumb, not necessarily as a law of nature, as you consider the impact of your actions.

Put The Bad Moments To Good Use

Recognize that while your gut reaction may lean into the negative, there is usually a useful lesson to be had in the bad. If we look at those lessons, learn from them, and actively try to be motivated by them to be and do better, the bad can actually be good.

Capitalize On The Good Moments – And Then Relive Them

Psychologists have found that sharing good news is one of the most effective ways to become happier. It’s called capitalization. Basically, we all benefit from sharing the good with others. So keep in mind things like collaboration over competition, celebrating the good news in other’s lives, and sharing your good and good news with others. Generosity goes so far!

See The Big Picture

The article makes the point that, “Just about every measure of human welfare is improving except one: Hope. The better life gets, the gloomier our worldview.” How crazy is that?! We’re improving, and surrounded by so much good, and yet our hope is depleting. The important act to take here is to minimize the negative, and accentuate the positive. Look at long term trends over small, one-off situations.

**All facts and information is via the Wall Street Journal article.

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A low bad diet is compelling with all this in mind, no?!

This article on the negativity effect was so interesting to me, especially as I thought about my current perceptions of the world. Honestly, I’ve been feeling a looming sense of despair lately. So much is wrong, there’s so much bad happening, and a lot of times I feel powerless as to how I can realistically help.

This article aided me making sense of those feelings — it’s helpful to understand that it’s actually human nature — and to ground myself in how to remain positive throughout the bad news and doomsday outlooks we’re surrounded by on the daily.

I often feel frustrated with myself that I don’t do more volunteering, or efforts to proactively help with my community and the world due to that whole time thing. And don’t get me wrong, I still really want to, and do my best at making efforts to prioritize helping. But I also think that it’s important to note that simply being a good person — doing more good than harm, and doing our best to shape our worlds positively — is actually an impactful form of doing good. As has been a common theme in my outlook lately, I think the little things do matter, and this article served as a nice proof-point to that for me.