The Feel Good Effect by Robyn Conley Downs

Author:Robyn Conley Downs
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale
Published: 2020-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

Using Gratitude to Undo Negativity Bias

Gratitude can be used to counteract negativity bias; another one of those things that probably developed to keep us safe from real danger. Think about it. In ancient times, if you were constantly on the alert, looking for threats, you were more likely to survive. You wouldn’t get eaten by the lion because you were vigilantly on the lookout. These days our brains are hyperaware of threats that aren’t really dangerous. Negativity bias is the reason that a rude comment you receive on social media stands out far more than the dozens of positive ones. It’s the reason you can remember the exact words of criticism you received back in high school, even though you can’t remember the names of most of your classmates. And it’s the reason that all the things that went wrong during the day pop into your head right before you fall asleep. Negativity bias is also highly related to toxic comparison because it causes you to overfocus on the bad, stressful, or threatening things in daily life, instead of seeing the reality of the situation. That’s exactly what makes it so insidious—it gives more weight to the bad things, causing you to miss so much of the good.

But that’s where gratitude comes into play. Gratitude neutralizes negativity bias, allowing you to see more of the story beyond immediate threats. Practicing gratitude essentially creates a positivity bias, one that allows you to see a fuller picture of your experience—the negative and the positive—as well as know that your worth, and value, has nothing to do with anyone else. More accurately, gratitude essentially creates a reality bias, one that’s grounded in the full spectrum of what is real, both the good and the bad.

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